Proceedings of the second Africa regional meeting of the world noncommunicable disease federation

Abstract

The Second Africa Regional Meeting of the World Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Federation was held 12–14 January 2023 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, under the theme “NCD prevention, surveillance and management to achieve SDG 3 in the context of COVID-19 and other health emergencies.” Supported by the World NCD Federation (India), WHO Regional Office for Africa, UNICEF Zimbabwe, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care, the meeting convened over 100 participants from seven countries. Plenary sessions and panel discussions covered emerging oral contraceptive–related NCD risks; implementation challenges and successes of the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable package across 23 countries; strengths and gaps in NCD surveillance including the need for district-level dashboards; COVID-19’s multifaceted impact on NCD services; telemedicine innovations for remote screening; and health-system financing models including ring-fenced levies. A 3-day dialogue yielded three key recommendations: (1) conduct Zimbabwean studies on oral contraceptive effects in pregnancy; (2) strengthen country-level collection and sharing of disaggregated NCD data; and (3) leverage multisectoral partnerships and ring-fenced “sin taxes” to finance integrated NCD services. This concise proceedings report highlights actionable steps to accelerate Africa’s progress toward SDG 3.4’s one-third reduction in premature NCD mortality by 2030.