The UK Medical Research Council, the British government’s main funder of medical research, is teaming up with other large international bodies to support work on non-communicable diseases in the developing world.

The council will provide £6m over five years as part of plans to spend up to $70m through the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, which also includes state medical research funders from the US, Canada, Australia and China, set to be joined by India and the World Health Organisation.