Caring for people with NCDs in humanitarian settings during the COVID-19 pandemic

Wed June 17, 2020, 0800-0900 EDT/1200-1300 GMT || Featuring: Prof. Pablo Perel, LSHTM; Dr. Philippa Boulle, MSF; Dr. Slim Slama, WHO-EMRO; Ms. Sylvia Khamati, Danish Red Cross ||

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the delivery of health services for people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in humanitarian settings. In this webinar, we will be joined by experts from humanitarian organizations and the World Health Organization, who will share their experience with challenges, current responses, lessons learned, and the pending agenda for non-communicable diseases in COVID-19.

Moderator: Professor Pablo Perel, Centre for Global Chronic Conditions, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Professor Pablo Perel is a professor of clinical epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Global Chronic Conditions at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a cardiologist and epidemiologist with expertise in clinical trials, prognosis research, systematic reviews, and implementation research; his main area of interest is cardiovascular implementation research in limited-resources and humanitarian settings. Professor Perel is also an editor of the Global Heart Journal and an Editorial Advisor of the Cochrane Heart Group.

Presenters

• Dr. Philippa Boulle, NCD Advisor, Intersectional NCD Working Group Leader, MSF: Dr. Philippa Boulle is the Non-Communicable Diseases Advisor and leader of the Chronic Diseases group in Medecins Sans Frontieres Switzerland (MSF), and leads the MSF international working group on NCDs. She lectures post-graduate and undergraduate students on non-communicable diseases in humanitarian settings and has published in leading journals on the topic. Her prior experience includes work as the medical responsible for an operational desk in MSF Switzerland, overseeing MSF interventions in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. She has previously worked in various MSF projects in clinical and coordination roles in diverse settings. Philippa has a Master of Public Health majoring in international health from the Burnet Institute/Monash University, and has a Gorgas Diploma of Tropical Medicine.
• Dr. Slim Slama, Regional Advisor, NCD Prevention and Management Unit (NCP), WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO): Dr. Slim Slama is a regional advisor and medical doctor, specializing in internal/primary care medicine and global health. Dr. Slama provides strategic and technical support to countries in scaling up efforts to better prevent and control NCDs. Part of his work is dedicated to strengthening WHO normative and technical support to countries affected by humanitarian crises, with the aim to improve NCD inclusion across various phases of emergencies. Dr. Slama’s work has led to the development of the WHO NCD emergency kit.
• Ms. Sylvia Khamati, Public Health Specialist, Danish Red Cross: Ms. Sylva Khamati is a public health specialist with more than 11 years of experience in the field, and is currently the IPC Health Delegate for Africa. Ms. Khamati has worked across the humanitarian, civil society, and government sectors, and holds Master’s degrees in management and public health, focusing on epidemiology and disease control. Her areas of research include HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, NCDs, and MHPSS.