Browsing by Author "Yonga, Gerald"

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    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
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    First Africa Non-Communicable Disease Research Conference 2017: Sharing Evidence and Identifying Research Priorities
    (Journal of Global Health, 2019-02) Yonga, Gerald; Juma, Kenneth; Juma, Pamela A.; Mohamed, Shukri F.; Owuor, Jared; Wanyoike, Ann; Mulabi, David; Odinya, George; Njeru, Maureen
    Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevalence is rising fastest in lower income settings, and with more devastating outcomes compared to High Income Countries (HICs). While evidence is consistent on the growing health and economic consequences of NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specific efforts aimed at addressing NCD prevention and control remain less than optimum and country level progress of implementing evidence backed cost-effective NCD prevention approaches such as tobacco taxation and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and drinks is slow. Similarly, increasing interest to employ multi-sectoral approaches (MSA) in NCD prevention and policy is impeded by scarce knowledge on the mechanisms of MSA application in NCD prevention, their coordination, and potential successes in SSA. In recognition of the above gaps in NCD programming and interventions in Africa, the East Africa NCD alliance (EANCDA) in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) organized a three-day NCDs conference in Nairobi. The conference entitled “First Africa Non-Communicable Disease Research Conference 2017: Sharing Evidence and Identifying Research Priorities” drew more than one hundred fifty participants and researchers from several institutions in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Belgium, USA and Canada. The sections that follow provide detailed overview of the conference, its objectives, a summary of the proceedings and recommendations on the African NCD research agenda to address NCD prevention efforts in Africa.
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    Non-Communicable Disease Epidemics Approaches to Prevention and Control in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), 2019) Juma, Pamela A.; Juma, Kenneth; Yonga, Gerald
    Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors are on the increase globally. It is estimated that NCDs accounted for 72 per cent of mortality globally in 2016, with 80 per cent of these NCD deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (WHO, 2013; Forouzanfar et al., 2015). Four out of a large range of NCDs – cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory illnesses – have been identified as being responsible for the greatest share of the burden (WHO, 2013). These four diseases (or disease groups) also share a set of four risk factors, namely tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity.
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    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.