Browsing by Author "Kraef, Christian"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Fighting Non-Communicable Diseases in East Africa: Assessing Progress and Identifying the Next Steps
    (BMJ Global Health, 2020) Yonga, Gerald; Kraef, Christian; Juma, Pamela A.; Mucumbitsi, Joseph; Ramaiya, Kaushik; Ndikumwenayo, Francois; Kallestrup, Per
    Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a rapid increase in non-communicable disease (NCD) burden over the last decades. The East African Community (EAC) comprises Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda, with a population of 177 million. In those countries, 40% of deaths in 2015 were attributable to NCDs. We review the status of the NCD response in the countries of the EAC based on the available monitoring tools, the WHO NCD progress monitors in 2017 and 2020 and the East African NCD Alliance benchmark survey in 2017. In the EAC, modest progress in governance, prevention of risk factors, monitoring, surveillance and evaluation of health systems can be observed. Many policies exist on paper, implementation and healthcare are weak and there are large regional and subnational differences. Enhanced efforts by regional and national policy-makers, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders are needed to ensure future NCD policies and implementation improvements
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The COVID-19 Pandemic and Non-communicable Diseases—A Wake-up Call for Primary Health Care System Strengthening in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 2020-07) Yonga, Gerald; Kraef, Christian; Juma, Pamela A.; Kallestrup, Per; Mucumbitsi, Joseph; Ramaiya, Kaushik
    Strengthening Primary Health Care Systems is the most effective policy response in low-and middle-income countries to protect against health emergencies, achieve universal health coverage, and promote health and wellbeing. Despite the Astana declaration on primary health care, respective investment is still insufficient in Sub-Sahara Africa. The SARSCoV- 2019 pandemic is a reminder that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are increasingly prevalent in Sub- Sahara Africa, are closely interlinked to the burden of communicable diseases, exacerbating morbidity and mortality. Governments and donors should use the momentum created by the pandemic in a sustainable and effective way by pivoting health spending towards primary health care.