Citation

Mohammed A, Putnis N, Kakunze A, Riches SP, Humphreys E, Eaton J, Bhatia T, Dar O, Raji T, Walker IF, Ogwell A. Lancet Glob. Health 2023; 11(4): e495-e496.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00054-2

PMID

36925164

Abstract

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) was established in 2017, after the west Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak. Upon creation, the role of Africa CDC was to mandate strengthening of the capacity of public health institutions in Africa to prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats, based on science, policy, and data-driven interventions and programmes, as envisaged by the Abuja Declaration. The inaugural strategic plan was focused on building health systems for emergency preparedness and response. However, from its inception, the organisation recognised the concomitant need to comprehensively strengthen systems to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, and to face the neglected issue of mental health disorders. The division dedicated to these issues was conceptualised, but operationalisation was deferred to a future date.

In September, 2020, in an important phase of the African continental response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa CDC began operationalising the institutional mechanisms to address the growing threat of NCDs, injuries, and mental health disorders. The development of a strategy to support health systems strengthening in African Union member states for NCD and injury prevention and control, and mental health promotion was prioritised. This process was catalysed by the COVID-19 increased risks of morbidity and mortality for groups living with these conditions and the need for stronger health systems to prevent and manage both communicable and non-communicable diseases during complex emergencies.

The urgency to scale up improvements in prevention and management of NCDs, injuries, and mental health disorders is growing in Africa; the proportion of years of life lost due to NCDs, injuries, and mental health disorders is predicted to triple between 1980 and 2040. Africa has the highest rate of road-traffic injuries compared to other WHO regions. An estimated 85% of premature adult deaths due to NCDs occur in low-income and middle-income countries. In an estimated 90% of countries, including many African Union states, people have a higher risk of dying prematurely from NCDs than from communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions combined. The pandemic has magnified this issue and had a negative effect on mental health, which reasserts the duality of health equity and security...

Language: en