African Union launches taskforce to tackle Noncommunicable Diseases, Injuries, and Mental Health

SOUTH AFRICA — The African Union Taskforce on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), Injuries, and Mental Health has been established to support the implementation of the NCDs, injuries, and mental health plan.

NCDs are a set of illnesses that are not primarily caused by acute infections, have long-term health implications, and frequently necessitate long-term treatment and care.

Examples of these ailments include cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung diseases.

According to the WHO, NCDs account for 74% of all deaths worldwide, with more than three-quarters of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries where universal health coverage or access to healthcare services is generally limited.

Therefore, the creation and promotion of universal health coverage are critical in combating NCDs and striving to minimize the number of unnecessary global deaths.

NCDs share five primary risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy diets, and air pollution.

The NCD epidemic has terrible health repercussions for people, families, and communities, and it threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems.

The socioeconomic consequences of NCDs make illness prevention and control a crucial development need for the twenty-first century.

Controlling the risk factors that lead to the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is one of the most important approaches to reducing fatalities from these diseases.

In addition to prevention, management of NCDs is crucial. This involves disease detection, screening, treatment, and palliative care for individuals who require it.

NCD surveillance is another critical step in providing the information required for policy and program development for NCD prevention and control.

Tracking and reporting on NCD-related global targets and indicators is critical for understanding progress in NCD prevention and control.

Accurate data from countries is crucial for reversing the global trend in NCD death and disability, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and monitoring and evaluating progress.

This announcement was made during a planning meeting held in Cape Town from November 1st to 3rd, 2023, with the goal of enhancing coordination among African stakeholders.

H.E. Amb. Rossette Nyirikindi, representing the Chairperson’s Bureau, presided over the launch.

Representatives from various AU departments, institutions, and agencies, technical partners (such as WHO and the World Diabetes Foundation), and stakeholders such as the African Tobacco Control Alliance and Brands on Mission attended the event.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), injuries, and mental health issues, according to Africa CDC, are major hurdles to fulfilling the goal of “Agenda 2063,” which aims to construct an integrated, wealthy, and peaceful Africa led by its own citizens.

These conditions now cause significant human losses and economic costs in African Union Member States, and they are anticipated to become the continent’s top cause of death and disability by 2030.

Beyond health, the drivers and risk factors of these conditions are mostly determined in sectors such as agriculture, trade, education, labor, and transportation.

As a result, a multi-sectoral approach is critical to reducing the continent’s burden of NCDs, injuries, and mental health disorders.

As reflected in the second Africa CDC strategic plan (2023-2027), there is a strong need to align regional economic communities (RECs) and partners to establish, strengthen, and coordinate multi-sectoral action for NCDs, injuries, and mental health strategy priorities.

H.E Amb. Rossette Nyirikindi thanked Africa CDC for convening the conference and vowed to work closely with Africa CDC to carry out the task force’s mandate.

The three-day meeting allowed participants to focus on presentations by notable specialists on the social, political, environmental, and commercial causes of NCDs, injuries, and mental health.

This helped them grasp the multisectoral action for NCDs, injuries, and mental health, as well as the role of the African Union.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for task force members to debate and agree on priority policy issues, as well as build an action plan.

The commission will initially focus on commercial determinants of health, road traffic injuries, and mental health stigma.

All three areas share a high attributable disease burden, a continental priority for intervention according to the Africa CDC strategic plan, and the possibility for successful multisectoral action.

The Africa CDC, AU leadership, and policy institutions will then finalize, cost, and validate the taskforce action plan.

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