From 8–12 June 2026, the CAPSTONE Consortium convened in Banjul, The Gambia, for a week of intensive collaboration, learning, and knowledge exchange. Hosted at the Medical Research Council, the meeting brought together academics, health professionals, policymakers, and advocates from across West Africa and Europe to advance the consortium's mission of strengthening non‑communicable disease (NCD) education, research, and service delivery in humanitarian and fragile settings.
The consortium meeting was designed to ensure the smooth running of the CAPSTONE project, review progress with a focus on knowledge translation and dissemination, and discuss strategies for long‑lasting impact through sustainability. Specific objectives included:
Curriculum innovation: Transitioning short courses into accredited MPH programmes, embedding challenge‑based learning (CBL), and aligning competencies with CANMEDs roles. Stakeholder engagement: Reports from Ghana and The Gambia highlighted strong support for contextualized NCD training and curriculum adaptation. Communities of Practice: Building networks of academics, health professionals, CSOs, and advocates, with innovative engagement strategies such as WhatsApp groups and social media influencers. Sustainability strategies: Identifying potential funding partners including Mastercard Foundation, NIH, GIZ, Gates Foundation, and other philanthropic organizations. Field visits: Visits to Pakala Clinic and the Family Medicine Unit at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital provided insights into frontline NCD care, highlighting challenges in digital records, referrals, and medication supply. Knowledge translation: Sessions focused on developing technical briefs, implementation guides, and training modules to support dissemination across WHO and partner networks.
The closing symposium featured remarks from:
All reaffirmed their commitment to NCD capacity strengthening in West Africa.
"The CAPSTONE Consortium continues to demonstrate that collaboration, innovation, and sustainability are essential to tackling NCDs in fragile contexts."
— CAPSTONE ConsortiumThe CAPSTONE Consortium continues to demonstrate that collaboration, innovation, and sustainability are essential to tackling NCDs in fragile contexts. By embedding knowledge translation into education and service delivery, and by fostering strong partnerships across countries and institutions, CAPSTONE is laying the foundation for equitable, resilient NCD care in West Africa and beyond.
