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Zimbabwe hosts workshop on integrating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and mental health components in HIV programming for Global Fund
Representatives from Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe convened in Harare (Zimbabwe) to integrate non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health components into their funding request proposals to the Global Fund. Organized by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and WHO Headquarters, in collaboration with the Global Fund and UNAIDS, the meeting is a critical step; towards promoting universal health coverage through provision of comprehensive care, particularly of people living with and at risk of HIV.
Key takeaways from the workshop:
- Investment towards primary health care is imperative to provide comprehensive care packages for HIV, Malaria, TB and NCDs and Mental Health services.
- Integration provides an opportunity to further engage, empower and strengthen capacity of communities to promote awareness and increase demand for, access to and uptake of services and to deliver as integration community-based integrated services
- Infrastructure available to screen, manage and treat HIV and TB provide entry points for integrated services.
- Lessons learnt in HIV response are transferable to NCDs and mental health integration
- There are improved prospects of health system strengthening as integration allows optimal use of scarce resources
- All the participating countries were optimistic on the prospect of including NCDs and mental Health into their Global fund proposals.
For further details contact: barangop@who.int
WHO releases the largest global collection of health inequality data
WHO recently launched the Health Inequality Data Repository, the most comprehensive global collection of publicly available disaggregated data and evidence on population health and its determinants. The repository allows for tracking health inequalities across population groups and over time, by breaking down data according to group characteristics, ranging from education level to ethnicity.
The data from the repository show that, in just a decade, the rich-poor gap in health service coverage among women, newborns and children in low- and middle-income countries has nearly halved. They also reveal that, in these countries, eliminating wealth-related inequality in under-five mortality could help save the lives of 1.8 million children. Topics covered include: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); COVID-19; reproductive, maternal and child health; immunization; HIV; tuberculosis; malaria; nutrition; health care; non-communicable diseases and environmental health.
For further details contact: mediainquiries@who.int
Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs: Latest lived experience publication
The Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs latest lived experience publication is 'Regional reflections. Analysis from informal regional consultations with people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions'.
The WHO recently launched a report thatincludes analysis from informal regional consultations in the African Region, the Caribbean and North America, Latin America, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, alongside three forums in the Western Pacific Region. It analyses the overarching similarities, regional nuances and priorities raised across the six WHO regions for the meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience. It is the second publication in the WHO Intention to action series, which aims to enhance the limited evidence base on the impact of meaningful engagement and address the lack of standardized approaches on how to operationalise meaningful engagement. The Intention to action series aims to do this by providing a platform from which individuals with lived experience, and organizational and institutional champions, can share solutions, challenges and promising practices related to this cross-cutting agenda.
For further details contact: fisherj@who.int
Call for nominations: 2023 Task Force Awards for multisectoral action on NCDs and mental health
The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (Task Force) is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Task Force Awards! The Award, which is now in its fourth year, recognises outstanding achievements in multisectoral action for the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health conditions and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, the Task Force has joined forces with the WHO Department of Digital Health and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with the Awards scheme being expanded to recognize work using digital health for action on NCDs and mental health.
Awards will be made in 3 categories:
- Ministries of health and government health agencies;
- Ministries and government agencies outside health;
- Non-governmental organizations, academia and foundations.
For further details contact: putoudn@who.int
New Knowledge Action Portal on NCDs
Following a major website redesign, a brand-new and improved version of the KAP was recently launched, serving the GCM/NCD and its Participants as a novel platform to link key knowledge resources, share country action and impact stories on NCD prevention and control, promote events, host thematic communities of practice, or engage with fellow GCM/NCD Participants.
The Knowledge Action Portal on NCDs (KAP) serves as the GCM/NCD’s main knowledge sharing and community platform dedicated to enhancing NCD prevention and control through multisectoral and multistakeholder collaboration.
For further details contact: gcmncd@who.int
Regional updates
WHO/Europe calls for urgent action on oral disease as highest rates globally are recorded in European Region
WHO/Europe recently launched the new status report on oral health in the WHO European Region. The report shows over half of all adults in the WHO European Region had a major oral disease in 2019, the highest prevalence worldwide, and urges Member States to increase access to safe, effective and affordable essential oral health care as part of universal health coverage.
The report cautions that Universal health coverage cannot be achieved without oral health care and urges for national health coverage packages to include access to oral health care services, either free of charge or at a price that people can afford. The call comes in response to alarming figures contained in the report that the Region (covering 53 countries across Europe and central Asia) has the highest prevalence of major oral disease cases and the highest prevalence of caries – cavities and tooth decay – of permanent teeth, globally.
Oral diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide, affecting an estimated 466 million people in the European Region. Oral diseases disproportionately affect disadvantaged and marginalized populations and can have life-long impacts, particularly for children, if not treated quickly and appropriately.
For further details contact: tsoyie@who.int
Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030: summary of the WHO European Region
This publication describes the status of oral health across the WHO European Region, covering 53 countries across Europe and Central Asia, based on the Global Oral Health Status Report 2022. The summary reviews the prevalence of oral disease across the Region, and identifies the drivers for harm. It highlights regional issues and opportunities in establishing effective oral health provision. It also explores the proportion of countries with national oral health policies and dedicated staff embedded in Ministries of Health focusing on oral health. The aim of this regional summary is to encourage governments and health authorities to increase access to safe, effective and affordable essential oral health care in order to address oral health inequities and improve health for all in the WHO European Region. The recommendations contained in this report complement those in the Global Oral Health Action Plan, and focus on oral health as being integral to Universal health coverage.
For further details contact: staufm@who.int
Ear and hearing care National Policy dialogue in Georgia
To implement the recommendations of the World Report on Hearing (2021), a policy dialogue was held in Georgia in April with the representation from the three levels of WHO, Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Adjara region, civil society representatives and other UN agencies.
The two-day consultation focused upon advancing the existing services available for people with hearing loss and discussing the available resources, heating care needs and challenges. As the next step, with the agreement of the Member State focal point, a formal situation review will be carried out and a working group for ear and hearing care will be formed in the country for developing and implementing a national strategy and action plan. Georgia is working towards making ear and hearing acre for all a reality!
For more details, contact kurtsikashvilig@who.int
Campaign to improve cancer care in Georgia
A passionate advocate for greater awareness, Ana Mazanishvili runs the Pink Space Centre in Tbilisi, Georgia – a charity offering free advice and support for breast cancer patients. She recently contributed to the launch of a new WHO initiative to guide countries on how to reduce breast cancer mortality by improving early breast cancer detection and access to quality and effective breast cancer care. Ana explains that treatment options in Georgia at the time she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 were expensive and cancer patients weren’t offered any psychosocial support. While waiting at a clinic for treatment one day, she met another woman who was in tears, having just received a cancer diagnosis. She realized it was within her power to help.
“I was inspired to work with people and show them how to live with cancer. I became a campaigner to improve the quality of life for every cancer patient and their family members. People need someone to talk to and doctors don’t always have enough time to do that.”
For further details contact: kurtsikashvilig@who.int
Mauritania actively prepares its 2nd STEPS survey with the support of WHO
Experts from different departments of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Planning and Statistics in Mauritiana were trained on the STEPSwise methodology for monitoring NCD risk factors.
The WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS) is a simple, standardized method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data on key NCD risk factors in countries. The survey instrument covers key behavioural risk factors: tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, as well as key biological risk factors: overweight and obesity, raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, and abnormal blood lipids. Through the use of expanded modules, the survey instrument can be expanded to cover a range of topics beyond these risk factors, such as oral health, sexual health and road safety. By using the same standardized questions and protocols, all countries can use STEPS information not only for monitoring within-country trends, but also for making comparisons across countries.
For further details contact: barangop@who.int
Upcoming Events
NCD Hard Talks webinar: SEAHEARTS for CVD Control: All hands-on deck
4 MAY 2023 | 13-14:30 CEST
This NCD Hard Talk webinar will highlight the progress in CVD prevention and control, with a focus on hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care. Join us to learn and interact with an international panel, who will bring the ground reality and illustrate progress across many domains.
The WHO South-East Asia Regional Strategy for Primary Health Care continues to support countries to integrate services to prevent, detect, treat and manage NCDs – including CVDs – into primary health care, accelerating momentum from the 2016 Colombo Declaration. The SEAHEARTS initiative aims to substantially reduce premature mortality from CVDs in the region.
Strong, regional and country efforts under SEAHEARTS have paved the way for progress. Countries have adapted the WHO HEARTS technical package to their contexts to accelerate the control of risk factors and management of hypertension with improved control rates, and further strengthening of the diagnosis, treatment and management of diabetes.
For further details contact: hogendorfm@who.int
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
