African Health Leaders Call for a Greater Investment in Integrated Models of Care
At a high-level side event during the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in late August, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases. Representing the NCDI Poverty Network at the side event was one of the Network’s co-chairs, Dr. Ana Mocumbi (shown holding a blue sign that reads, “PEN-Plus is increasing access to services for severe chronic diseases in Africa”). Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, stands beside her, holding a pink sign focused on women’s cancers. (Photo: World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa)
African health ministers and partners are calling for increased investment in integrated health services to address the growing burden of severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases, particularly those affecting women and underserved populations across the region.
At a high-level side event during the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases.
Dr. Ana Mocumbi, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network, noted, for example, that severe conditions such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and childhood-onset heart disease claim more than half a million lives annually, including among children, adolescents, and young adults in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where health infrastructure and services are especially scarce.
To improve care in the region, delegates said, urgent investment is needed in leadership, governance, and financing. Strengthening these foundations is critical in the current funding landscape, and advancements in strategic planning, healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and—most importantly—equitable access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services are essential.
To address these challenges, WHO and its partners showcased three integrated models with proven success on the continent: PEN-Plus, the Women’s Integrated Care for Cancer Services (WICS), and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative. Already 20 African nations have initiated PEN-Plus, a clinical model for delivering care to people living with severe noncommunicable diseases. WICS strengthens early detection, treatment, and integration of women’s cancer services into primary health care systems in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. And the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative works to reduce breast cancer mortality among women in Ghana and Tanzania through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment access.
“PEN-Plus, WICS, and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative are models for a new standard of care, rooted in equity, access, and health justice,” said Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “I urge countries to prioritize policies that embed these models into broader health system strengthening.”
The Regional Committee’s “Mid-term review of PEN-PLUS: a regional strategy to address severe noncommunicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities” was shared at the meeting.