About YP-CDN

Mission

Our mission is to build a cohesive, diverse and young global community who will drive policy, research, and social change for a healthy and equitable future. Our mission is accomplished through action targeting the social injustice levied by non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

We are achieving this by harnessing the talents and energies of the next generation of health leaders to collaborate with established stakeholders in the field. The movement – part social, part technical – will be rooted in the evidence, experience, and insights generated by members from across the globe.

Who We Are

Today, our networks and initiatives include more than 2000 members spanning more than 80 countries, with local groups meeting in almost 30 cities. At its core, the YP-CDN is a global community of emerging leaders, promoting research, policy, advocacy and capacity building to tackle NCDs. We believe that NCDs (including cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease) are fundamental matters for social and economic justice. NCDs present a significant challenge for the global health community.

Prior to 2009, no platform existed that unified young professionals to take action on NCDs at the global level and no central catalyst for the emergence of new leaders with new ideas, technical credentials and the passion to confront the challenge. Recognizing this, the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network (YP-CDN) was born to connect emerging leaders across countries and disciplines, providing a novel platform to amplify the voice of this growing demographic.

We believe that the first step to ensuring a healthy future for our generation is to ensure that we are kept informed, are able to self-determine our own stances and have a social and political platform to influence the local, regional, national and global dialogue on this 21st century public health emergency.

Our platforms

Recognizing the diverse needs, interests, and goals of our members, NCD Action provides several platforms for members to engage in:

Informing policy change and driving research
The Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network is a global professional network that promotes research, policy, and advocacy targeting NCDs.

Driving social change and inspiring action
NCD Action is a grass-roots movement of young people, students, and concerned citizens taking local and global action on NCDs.

Defining the NCD narrative
NCDFREE is a global social movement to that will shift societal perceptions on NCDs and incite political change. By creating a public narrative driven by young community-level leaders, NCDFREE uses knowledge leadership and knowledge sharing to address the NCD – health, political and development – agenda. For more information on the relationship between YP and NCDFREE, click here.

Building local communities
The 3T project – monthly gatherings throughout the world – connects the experiences and ideas of local communities with the wider global network, harnessing a powerful local-to-global model for action.

Join Our Movement

Our platforms provide opportunities to have a real and tangible impact on health and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities around the world. Getting involved is easy – just sign up (it’s free) to any of our platforms and tell us how you think the global NCD discourse needs to change.