African Health Ministers announce ‘pivotal’ new strategy to combat communicable diseases – Somali National News Agency
Lomé (SONNA):With the burden of cardiovascular disease, mental and neurological disorders and diabetes rising in the region, African health ministers today endorsed a new strategy to boost access to the diagnosis, treatment and care of severe noncommunicable diseases.
The health ministers, gathering for the Seventy-second session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lomé, Togo, adopted the strategy known as PEN-PLUS, A Regional Strategy to Address Severe Noncommunicable Diseases at First-Level Referral Health Facilities. The strategy aims to increase the capacity of first-level referral hospitals and district hospitals to diagnose and treat severe noncommunicable disease early, which will result in fewer deaths.
Africa’s hefty chronic disease burden
Severe noncommunicable disease is a chronic condition that causes severe disability and death in children, adolescents, and young adults. In the worst cases, patients may not live for more than a year after being diagnosed. In Africa, the most prevalent severe noncommunicable diseases 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.
“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,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
She went on to say that 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.”
In large cities in most of Africa, severe and non-communicable illnesses are treated at major health facilities. This creates health inequalities and makes it difficult for low-income patients, rural and peri-urban, to access care. These urban facilities often lack resources and the capacity to effectively manage severe, non-communicable illnesses.
Packages of standardized treatment
The new strategy encourages countries to implement standardized programmes to address chronic and severe noncommunicable disease. It also ensures that essential medicines, technologies and diagnosis are accessible at all levels of government hospitals.
A WHO survey from 2019 found that only 36% of African countries reported having essential medicines for non-communicable diseases in public hospital. It is important that governments ensure that those seeking treatment in private hospitals are able to access services for severe and noncommunicable conditions.
The strategy also recommends countries to strengthen the protocols for prevention and care of chronic noncommunicable disease by strengthening the skills and knowledge and training health workers.
Patients in Africa spend the most on out-of-pocket expenses due to noncommunicable diseases. These chronic conditions can often lead to catastrophic health costs. Patients will be able to reduce their expenses by receiving noncommunicable disease treatment as part of a package that is available at both primary and district health centers. Patients will spend less on transportation, lodging, and travel time to get to the health facilities.
The PEN-PLUS strategy builds upon existing WHO initiatives to integrate detection, diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable disease in primary health care facilities. It has been proven to be successful in Liberia and Malawi as well as Rwanda. This strategy has resulted in a significant increase of patients receiving treatment for severe noncommunicable disease and a positive improvement in patient outcomes.
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Source: sonna
