Health experts from several African countries are sharing latest advances and trends in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) management during the 2nd African Regional Conference on Non-communicable Diseases currently underway in the Zimbabwean resort town of Victoria Falls.The conference, which is running from January 12-14, is being attended by NCD prevention, surveillance and management experts from ministries of health from seven countries as well as top researchers and academia from universities in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region and beyond. 

Others in attendance include representatives of donors and civil society organisations that deal with health issues.

“This conference brings our attention to the urgent need to tackle NCDs as espoused in the National Health Strategy 2020-2025,” said Zimbabwe’s Deputy Health Minister John Mangwiro who is guest of honour. 

He said the conference also presented an opportunity for African countries to “take stock and share lessons we have learnt in implementing the WHO Package of Essential NCD interventions for primary health care in low-resource settings.”

The conference is running under the theme “NCD prevention, surveillance and management to achieve SDG 3 in the context of COVID-19 and other health emergencies.”  

The main goal of the meeting is to share experiences regarding the latest advances and trends in NCD prevention, management, and surveillance within the context of COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies including HIV and AIDS.

NCDs were responsible for 37 percent of deaths in Africa in 2019, rising from 24 percent in 2000, according to the WHO. The global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, it said.