"Unless we make chronic disease prevention a worldwide priority, the personal, social, economic, and political consequences will reverberate throughout the globe," said Simon Stevens. "The time has come to increase resources to counter the pandemic of chronic disease sweeping through low- and middle-income countries."

"By developing infrastructures for research and training, the centers will apply their considerable expertise to enhance local capacity to conduct population-based or clinical research to monitor, prevent, or control chronic cardiovascular and lung diseases," said Cristina Rabadan-Diehl, Ph.D., M.P.H., program director, NHLBI Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and director of the NHLBI Centers of Excellence Global Health Program. "We look forward to long-term sustainability of this seed investment - and improved global health."


The centers will conduct research tailored to their local or regional needs to reduce the burden of chronic diseases, including heart disease, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Related risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, and environmental exposures that contribute to COPD will also be emphasized. Center collaboration with existing health care systems in their communities or regions will be key to building and strengthening sustainable programs.

Each center will foster the training and mentoring of emerging scientists, physicians and other health professionals, and/or community health workers in collaboration with their partner institutions. Each NHLBI-funded center is also a Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellow or Scholar site. The Fogarty International Center is dedicated to advancing the mission of the NIH by supporting and facilitating global health research and training activities.

"As part of the NHLBI's expanding commitment to providing global leadership through research, training, and education, we have also commissioned a report from the Institute of Medicine on the global epidemic of cardiovascular disease in developing countries, are establishing a global health office, and plan to join with other government agencies to create the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease," said Nabel.

The NHLBI is awarding five-year contracts totaling almost $26 million to the following Centers of Excellence and the developed nation partner. In addition, the NHLBI is awarding a six-year $8.8 million contract to Westat of Rockville, Md., to serve as the administrative coordinating center for the NHLBI COEs.

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