The University of Cape Town will host a keynote presentation exploring how implementation science can be reshaped to better serve low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). The lecture will focus on the Building Bridges Framework, an approach designed to link research evidence with practical health interventions, with case studies drawn from 15 years of cardiometabolic health work in India.
Why implementation science matters for LMICs
Implementation science studies how to move effective health interventions from research settings into routine practice. Critics have long argued that many implementation frameworks were developed in high‑income countries and may not translate fairly or sustainably to resource‑constrained contexts. The upcoming talk will examine those limitations and propose ways to adapt methods and priorities to local realities.
The keynote speaker, Professor Brian Oldenburg, is Senior Principal Research Fellow and Team Lead of the NCD and Implementation Science team at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. He also holds an Honorary Professorship at UCT and visiting positions in Denmark, China, India and South Africa. His work has included community, digital health and systems interventions to prevent and manage cardiometabolic conditions.
What the Building Bridges Framework offers
According to the event description, the Building Bridges Framework emphasises evaluation across several pillars to assess whether programmes improve prevention and control of cardiometabolic disease. The framework has been applied to projects funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD) and other initiatives over the past 15 years, producing lessons relevant to both high‑ and low‑resource settings.
- Contextual adaptation: tailoring interventions to local health systems and community needs.
- Capacity strengthening: developing local research and implementation skills to sustain programmes.
- Equity focus: assessing fairness and accessibility of interventions.
The event description also highlights training and capacity building as a central theme of Oldenburg's work, including long‑running collaborative programmes and training grants aimed at strengthening regional research networks.
Event details
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 October 2026 |
| Time | 16:30–17:30 |
| Speaker | Professor Brian Oldenburg |
The lecture forms part of ongoing efforts in South Africa and internationally to make implementation research more locally relevant and sustainable. Implementation science that is adapted to LMIC realities can help close the gap between what is known to work and what is routinely delivered in clinics and communities.
Implications for South African public health research
For South African researchers and policy makers, the issues flagged by the Building Bridges Framework are practical. Designing interventions with local health‑system constraints in mind, investing in training, and measuring equity and sustainability are priorities that align with national goals to reduce the burden of non‑communicable diseases.
Professor Oldenburg's track record includes leading the Connected Health NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Digital Technology and directing a WHO Collaborating Centre for NCDs and Implementation Research. He was named the 2025 Distinguished Scientist of the US Society of Behavioral Medicine and is a Fellow of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine. The event description notes his involvement in regional training programmes such as the ASCEND collaborative training grant.
Attendees can expect a critical look at conventional implementation frameworks, evidence from long‑running programmes in India, and recommendations for building research and implementation capacity that is equitable and locally sustained.
