African health ministers approve new strategy to curb chronic diseases

African health ministers have endorsed a new plan to increase access to the diagnoses, care and treatment of severe non-communicable disease.

The PEN-PLUS strategy was adopted on Tuesday by the health ministers attending the 72nd session of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lomé, Togo.

In order to address severe noncommunicable illnesses at first-level referral health facilities, the plan will be put into action on a regional basis.

The plan encourages district hospitals and other first-level referral facilities to increase their ability to handle and diagnose severe non-communicable diseases.

Chronic illnesses known as severe noncommunicable diseases cause significant levels of disability and death in children, adolescents, and young adults.

In the worst scenarios, patients only survive for a year after their diagnoses.

Sickle cell disease, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, severe hypertension, and moderate to severe and persistent asthma are some of the most common severe noncommunicable diseases in Africa.

“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,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement.

She continued by stating that the plan chosen "marks a big milestone in enhancing the health and wellbeing of millions of people in the region" and was crucial in putting good care within patients' reach.

She claims that the majority of Africa's large cities have health facilities where people with serious noncommunicable diseases can receive treatment.

"This makes care out of reach for the majority of rural, periurban, and low-income individuals, which exacerbates health disparities.

“Moreover, these urban facilities often lack the capacity and resources to effectively manage severe non-communicable diseases.

“The new strategy urges countries to institute standardised programmes to tackle chronic and severe noncommunicable diseases by ensuring that essential medicines, technologies and diagnostics are available and accessible at district hospitals,” said Moeti.

Only 36% of African nations reported having critical medications for non-communicable diseases in public hospitals, according to a 2019 WHO poll.

Governments were advised by the poll to make sure that patients seeking treatment in private hospitals had access to services for serious non-communicable diseases.

The policy also urges nations to improve the protocols for the prevention, care, and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases by enhancing the education and training of health professionals.

The majority of patients' out-of-pocket expenses in Africa are for noncommunicable diseases, which frequently result in catastrophic medical costs due to their chronic nature.

Patients will experience lower costs as a result of spending less on travel, lodging in cities, and commute time to the health facilities when noncommunicable disease care is made available as a bundle of services at primary and district health facilities.

The PEN-PLUS plan expands on current WHO initiatives for integrated noncommunicable disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care in primary healthcare institutions.

With a considerable rise in the number of patients receiving treatment for severe noncommunicable illnesses and a corresponding improvement in these patients' outcomes, it has demonstrated encouraging results in Liberia, Malawi, and Rwanda.

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