Africa has adopted a new strategy to boost access to the diagnosis, treatment and care of severe non-communicable diseases (NCD).
- Called ‘PEN-PLUS, A Regional Strategy to Address Severe Non-communicable Diseases at First-Level Referral Health Facilities’, the strategy is aimed at bridging the access gap in treatment and care of patients with chronic and severe NCDs.
- Health ministers of African countries endorsed the plan at the 72nd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lome, Togo to reduce premature mortality from NCDs.
- NCDs include heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, asthma among others. Globally, NCDs are the main cause of morbidity and mortality.
- They account for 71 per cent of global mortality, according to WHO. In the African Region, the proportion of mortality due to NCDs ranges from 27-88 per cent.
(Source: Down To Earth)
