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The following research priorities have been proposed by some founding Alliance members, for discussion at their inaugural scientific meetings in November:

• Test ways to prevent cardiovascular diseases and complications of diabetes;
• Identify and promote public health measures for controlling obesity;
• Characterize and quantify the major risk factors for chronic obstructive airways disease (both tobacco and environmental pollution) and the development of control measures; and
• Advance research into the problem of tobacco consumption and its relationship to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other disorders;
• Develop interventions to address the above priorities.

The proposed priorities were identified in a collaborative paper, "Grand Challenges in Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases," published in the journal Nature (Vol 450|22, Nov. 2007). Based on a global Delphi survey, this widely-cited research paper has been acknowledged as a sound, systematic framework for reaching practical policy solutions to the prevention and treatment of humanity's most common chronic diseases.

Setting research priorities for non-communicable disease prevention will be closely coordinated with WHO.

A future Alliance research priority is likely to be in the area of mental health.

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