African Health Ministers Create Strategy To Tackle NCDs
In an effort to improve health in Africa, health ministers yesterday adopted a new strategy that supports and focuses on improving the capacity of district hospitals and other first-level referral facilities in diagnosing and treating severe non-communicable diseases (NCDs) early so fewer deaths occur.
As they gathered for the 72nd session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lome, Togo, the health ministers adopted a strategy known as ‘PEN-PLUS, A Regional Strategy to Address Severe Non-communicable Diseases at First-Level Referral Health Facilities.’
The policy builds on existing WHO initiatives for integrated detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care of Non-Communicable Diseases in primary health care facilities. It has shown promising results in Liberia, Malawi, and Rwanda, with a significant increase in the number of patients accessing treatment for severe NCDs and, a concomitant improvement in outcomes for these patients.
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Also, with the burden of cardiovascular disease, mental and neurological disorders, and diabetes rising in the region, the new strategy is to boost access to diagnosis, treatment, and care of serious NCDs.
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Severe NCDs, by definition, are those chronic conditions that lead to high levels of disability and death among children, adolescents, and young adults if left undiagnosed or untreated. In the worst-case scenario, patients live no longer than a year after diagnosis. In Africa, the most prevalent severe NCDs include sickle cell disease, type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, severe hypertension, and moderate to severe and persistent asthma.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: “Africa is grappling with an increasingly hefty burden of chronic diseases whose severe forms are costing precious lives that could be saved with early diagnosis and care.
“The strategy adopted today is pivotal in placing effective care within the reach of patients and marks a major step in improving the health and wellbeing of millions of people in the region.”
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In most parts of Africa, severe NCDs are usually treated at tertiary health facilities located in large cities. The development exacerbates health inequities, as it puts care beyond the reach of most rural, peri-urban, and low-income patients, who can often only easily access district hospitals and local health centers, which, oftentimes, lack the ability and resources to treat severe NCDs effectively.
According to the new strategy, countries are urged to implement standardised programmes in order to tackle chronic and severe NCDs by ensuring that district hospitals have the necessary access to essential medicines, technologies, and diagnostics.
A WHO survey that was conducted in 2019 stated that amongst the countries in the African region, only 36 percent reported having essential medicines for NCDs in public hospitals.
