Stronger at Every Age: Together Against Non-Communicable Diseases

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-911305

Abstract

Lifelong health is profoundly shaped by our earliest environments. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework demonstrates how health, nutrition and nurture from preconception through adolescence determine the trajectory of wellbeing and the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood. Africa offers a unique lens for examining how nations can intervene early to curb the future burden of NCDs. Across Africa, this understanding arrives at a critical juncture. As the continent faces a rising tide of NCDs, its children, adolescents, and families still hold the power to reshape their lifelong health destinies. Amid rapidly changing social and nutritional landscapes, schools emerge as pivotal platforms for prevention amongst other strategies involving health systems and innovative technologies. Embedding DOHaD principles into school-based health education, by emphasizing optimal nutrition, informed parenting, and the life-long benefits of breastfeeding can equip young people with the knowledge and agency to protect their own health and that of future generations. By translating scientific evidence into culturally grounded, community-driven action, we can cultivate health-literate, resilient societies that thrive free from preventable diseases. Investing in early-life interventions and multisectoral partnerships transforms the fight against NCDs from a reactive struggle to a collective opportunity for health, equity, and sustainable development to ensure that every generation grows stronger at every age united against the lifelong shadow of NCDs.

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Author Biographies

  • Ajeigbe Olufunke Florence (PhD), Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology Akure, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria.

    Ajeigbe Olufunke Florence scholar alliance to The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study African Scholars Network, Stellenbosch, South Africa,  Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Unit, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria and currently works at the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, USA

  • Hawawu Hussein (PhD), Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tamale Technical University, Tamale, Ghana.

    Hawawu Hussein is a Lecturer and a past Head of Department at the University, she has led curriculum development, mentored students, and fostered research collaborations. Previously, in my role as Head of Research at Ho Teaching Hospital, she oversaw large-scale epidemiological studies, ethical review processes, and interdisciplinary research initiatives. In addition, she has eight years of experience in Medical Laboratory Practice. Her research interests focus on maternal and child health, public health, and epidemiology with particular emphasis on air pollution and NCDs. Overall, she has more than 18 years of combined experience working with the Ghana Health Service, research and academic institutions.

  • Doegah Phidelia Theresa (Ph.D.), Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.

    Phidelia Theresa Doegah is a Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana. She has a background in Population Studies with about 15 years’ research experience in population and health. Phidelia does her research on profiling NCD risk factors of young people, maternal, neonatal and child health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights and other health issues affecting the health of the population as well as the use of Implementation Research Approach. She supervises and teaches students and also engages in research capacity building activities for health implementers. 

  • Andrew Matchado (MBBS, PhD), Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Global & Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi, 265.

    Andrew Matchado is a Medical Doctor and Nutritionist currently working as a Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Global and Public Health at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) in Malawi. He teaches nutrition to both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as supervising postgraduate students whose thesis topics are in nutrition. His research experience spans over 10 years in conducting randomized clinical trials in infectious diseases (malaria) and nutrition. Andrew is a fellow of the 2022 Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD): Consolidating Theory into Practice Summer School. He is one of the Global Ambassador Fellows in the International Human Exposome Network (IHEN). Currently, Andrew is the Project Co-Director in Increase Gains in Nutrition by Integration, Education, Evaluation, Empowerment (IGNIT3) Project, a capacity building project whose aim is to improve nutrition for the poorest and most marginalized especially women, adolescent girls, and children in Malawi.

  • Twaambo Euphemia Hamoonga (PhD), Department of Population Studies and Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.

    Twaambo Euphemia Hamoonga is a full-time lecturer at the University of Zambia’s School of Public Health where she currently heads the Department of Population Studies and Global Health. She has a PhD in Public Health, which was supported by the UNC-UNZA-Wits partnership for HIV and Women’s Reproductive Health training program (FIC D43 award). She has 12 years of work experience at the University of Zambia (2 years as an academic tutor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences: 2012-2014) and ten years as a full-time lecturer in the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on sexual and reproductive among adolescents and young people, pregnant, and postpartum women. She is currently the principal investigator on a study exploring male partner beliefs about use of PrEP by their female partners during pregnancy and breastfeeding; a study that is being supported through a seed grant from the University of Michigan’s Centre for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT). She is also a co-investigator on an R33 research project– an mHealth intervention to increase uptake of contraception and PrEP among female university students in Zambia.

References

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Published

2026-01-16

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Guest Editorial

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ajeigbe Olufunke Florence (PhD), Hawawu Hussein (PhD), Doegah Phidelia Theresa (Ph.D.), Andrew Matchado (MBBS, PhD), Twaambo Euphemia Hamoonga (PhD)

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How to Cite

Ajeigbe, O., Hussein, H., Doegah, P. T., Matchado, A., & Hamoonga, T. E. (2026). Stronger at Every Age: Together Against Non-Communicable Diseases. GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal), 9(1), 01–03. https://doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-911305
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