Appointed in September 2012, NCD Action and YP-CDN’s Global Steering Committee represents a diverse mix of young leaders from around the world. To get to know our leaders a little more, we asked each person one short, yet telling, question – Why are you passionate about NCDs?

Phil Baker
Executive Director
Canberra, Australia

"NCDs are a fundamental health and political challenge of the 21st century - one that our generation must embrace. On the one hand NCDs call into question how we 'do' global health. It requires a versatile health workforce unleashed from the traditional bio-medical model of training, that can work across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries, and demonstrate leadership as well as technical proficiency. On the other, NCDs are the ultimate collective action problem. We must seize the opportunity to build a global movement that spans borders, sectors and disciplines. One that harnesses the power of global connectivity in tandem with on-the-ground action. Our organization provides a platform for achieving these ends."

Sandro Demaio
Community Organizer
Copenhagen, Denmark

“NCDs are a defining global issue of our generation. We have solutions; it is now up to us to advocate & ensure their implementation.”

Benn Grover
Communications Director
Boston, United States

“Not only do NCDs represent the greatest health threat to our generation, but they also represent the greatest opportunity for us to mobilize a shared movement that will fundamentally change the way we think about health.”

Fred Hersch
Global Steering Committee Representative: Western Pacific
Sydney, Australia

"I am passionate about global health in particular the challenge of non communicable diseases on the health of populations and health systems. Whilst there is no doubt there are many unfinished agenda, NCDs have emerged as a major threat to development efforts and to social well-being globally. This is the health challenge of our generation."

Kiti Kajana
Global Steering Committee Representative: Southeast Asia
New York City, United States

“90% of preventable deaths due to NCDs occur in low-and middle-income countries - so much can be done to reverse this trend. It is the responsibility of our generation to change to future and prevent needless death and suffering.”

Shweta Khandelwal
Global Steering Committee Representative: Southeast Asia
New Delhi, India

“We all know that diet and lifestyle are modifiable factors in NCD causation as well as prevention. Being a public health nutritionist, I am passionate to explore new paradigms of this critical diet disease relationship.”

Sandeep Kishore
Chair, Advisory Council; Ex-Officio Global Steering Committee Member
New York City, United States

“21st century health requires 21st century solutions – including addressing the causes of the causes underlying our sick society – NCDs (and all their risks) fit right into this and will take the full force of this generation, our generation, to tackle them.”

Kavitha Kolappa
Program Fellow – Mental Health
Boston, United States

“I am interested in breaking the false dichotomy between physical and mental health, underscoring the bilateral relationships between chronic physical and mental illnesses, and translating the growing body of evidence on the subject into policy.”

Duncan Matheka
Global Steering Committee Representative: Africa
Nairobi, Kenya

“Intrigued by the rising burden of NCDs in Africa, with even young people living with and at-risk for NCDs, I started an NCD group for the youth of Africa to combat NCDs through creating community awareness/free outreach screening camps, education, research, networking, mentorship, and advocacy.”

Jeremy Schwartz
Global Steering Committee Representative: Americas
New Haven, United States

“Through my clinical work at home and abroad, I have seen firsthand the massive scope of the NCD problem and the urgent need for recognition of this problem by policymakers and for building capacity in health systems to handle it.”

Sofia Ahsanuddin
Intern
New York City, United States

“NCDs are perpetually and inextricably linked with the cycle of poverty and I want to help people who can't help themselves climb out of the situations they find themselves in.”