Invisible Threat: the Non-Communicable Diseases Perspective

Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Time: 17:00 – 18:30
Location: Kano

Session Overview:
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors. The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, haemoglobinopathies and renal disease and are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. NCD deaths represent the leading cause of mortality globally (70%). The evolution of lifestyles associated with the economic growth and environmental change in Africa, as well as the increase in life expectancy is accompanied by a rise in the prevalence of NCDs. WHO estimates that death from NCDs will increase 27% in the region and become the leading cause of ill health, disability and premature death, exceeding mortality due to communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional diseases combined, by 2030. In addition, NCDs are common co-morbidities of many infectious diseases (e.g. HIV), compromising patient outcomes and the effectiveness of infectious disease control programs, if not appropriately identified and managed. Hence, the detection, screening, and treatment of NCDs are key to favorable patient and public health outcomes and to achieve universal health coverage.

Healthcare systems of Africa particularly focus on the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, only slowly adapting to the evolving disease burden on the continent. The management and prevention of NCD are often an afterthought, with laboratory testing for NCDs being less accessible, resourced, and quality controlled than the testing for communicable diseases.

This session will discuss the current gaps in access to and quality of diagnostics for NCDs in the laboratories of Africa. Strategies to leverage the capacity built for the detection of infectious diseases and opportunities to implement control programs for the control of NCDs will be discussed.

  • The Burden of Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus in Adult African Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    • Daniel Asmelash, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
  • Diagnosing NCDs in support of HIV differentiated care models
    • Wafaa El-Sadr, ICAP at Columbia University, United States
  • The Clinical Utility of the Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content for Screening Pregnant Women Iron Deficiency
    • John Anetor, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Implementing a National Program for the Control of NCDs in Guinea
    • Naby Balde, Guinea-Conakry University Hospital and International Diabetes Federation for the African Region, Guinea
  •  Co-Conveners:
    • Anthony Emeribe
      • Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria; University of Calabar, Nigeria
    • Alpha Diallo
      • Association of Public Health Laboratories, Guinea
  •  Speakers
    • Daniel Gebretensae
      • University of Gondar, Ethiopia
    • Wafaa El-Sadr
      • ICAP at Columbia University, United States
    • Naby Balde
      • Guinea National NCD Program, Guinea
    • John Anetor
      • University of Ibadan, Nigeria