School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Ann Glob Health. 2023 Dec 15;89(1):89. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4116. eCollection 2023.
Five million people die every year from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally. In Tanzania, more than two-thirds of deaths are NCD-related. The country is investing in preventive and advocacy activities as well as interventions to reduce the burden. Of particular interest, the Ministry of Health (MoH) commemorates NCDs' week using a multisectoral and multi-stakeholders' approach. This paper highlights activities conducted during NCDs week with the aim of sharing lessons for other countries with similar context and burdens.
A thorough review of official reports and the national strategic plans for NCDs was done including the 2020 and 2021 National NCDs' week reports, the National Strategic Plan for NCDs 2015-2020, and the National NCDs agenda.
NCDs week is commemorated annually throughout the country involving the five key activities. First, community awareness and participation are encouraged through media engagement and community-based preventive and advocacy activities. Second, physical activities and sports festivals are implemented with a focus on developing and renovating infrastructures for sports and recreation. Third, health education is provided in schools to promote healthy behaviors for secondary school adolescents in transition to adulthood. Fourth, health service provision and exhibitions are conducted involving screening for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, alcohol use, and physical activities. The targeted screening of NCDs identified 10% of individuals with at least one NCD in 2020. In 2021, a third of all screened individuals were newly diagnosed with hypertension, and 3% were found to have raised blood glucose levels. Fifth, the national NCDs scientific conferences conducted within the NCDs week provide an avenue for stakeholders to discuss scientific evidence related to NCDs and recommend strategies to mitigate NCDs burden.
The initiation of NCDs week has been a cornerstone in advocating for NCDs control and prevention in the country. It has created awareness on NCDs, encourage healthy lifestyles and regular screening for NCDs. The multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approaches have made the implementation of the mentioned activities feasible and impactful. This has set an example for the united efforts toward NCD control and prevention at national, regional, and global platforms while considering contextual factors during adoption and implementation.
全球每年有 500 万人死于非传染性疾病（NCDs）。在坦桑尼亚，超过三分之二的死亡与 NCD 有关。该国正在投资预防和宣传活动以及干预措施，以减轻负担。值得注意的是，卫生部（MoH）采用多部门和多利益攸关方的方法纪念 NCD 周。本文重点介绍 NCD 周期间开展的活动，旨在为其他具有类似背景和负担的国家分享经验教训。
对官方报告和国家 NCD 战略计划进行了全面审查，包括 2020 年和 2021 年国家 NCD 周报告、2015-2020 年国家 NCD 战略计划和国家 NCD 议程。
每年在全国范围内纪念 NCD 周，涉及五项关键活动。首先，通过媒体参与和基于社区的预防和宣传活动，鼓励社区参与和参与。其次，开展体育活动和体育节，重点是发展和翻新体育和娱乐基础设施。第三，在学校提供健康教育，促进即将成年的中学生养成健康行为。第四，提供卫生服务和展览，包括高血压、糖尿病、肥胖、饮酒和体育活动筛查。2020 年，有针对性的 NCD 筛查发现至少有 10%的人患有 NCD。2021 年，所有筛查个体中有三分之一被新诊断患有高血压，有 3%的个体血糖水平升高。第五，在 NCD 周内举办的国家 NCD 科学会议为利益攸关方提供了一个讨论与 NCD 相关的科学证据并提出减轻 NCD 负担的战略的途径。
启动 NCD 周一直是该国倡导 NCD 控制和预防的基石。它提高了对 NCD 的认识，鼓励了健康的生活方式和定期筛查 NCD。多利益攸关方和多部门方法使实施上述活动变得可行和有影响力。这为在国家、区域和全球各级控制和预防 NCD 方面的共同努力树立了榜样，同时在采用和实施过程中考虑到了背景因素。
