Services – CBCHS NCD

Introduction

Each year, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes mellitus cause over 15 million deaths globally in persons between the ages of 30 and 69. This has made NCDs the leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Unfortunately, 85% of these deaths occur in the low and middle income countries. With the major risk factors being: unhealthy diets, tobacco use, alcohol misuse and physical inactivity, it is very relieving to know that most of these NCDs are preventable with life style modification practices.

Non-communicable diseases which have long been a major concern in the developed worlds has now become an increasing concern in the developing countries as a result of changing lifestyle (changes in dietary habits, sedentary life styles, industrialization (leading to air pollution which is a recently added risk factor for NCDs)), globalization and the transition from low to middle income status by most countries in the developing worlds.

Considering the rising prevalence and long-term consequences of NCDs, prevention is thus a public health priority. With people in the low and middle income countries being the most vulnerable and highly affected, many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and research institutes in Africa have been actively involved in NCDs prevention and control activities. This is the case with the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBC Health Services) which has been running a Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program (NCD-PCP) that was created to intensify prevention activities and improve on the quality of care given to NCD patients and clients in her health facilities. Since its creation in the year 2016, the NCD-PCP has been very committed in community based intervention activities (aimed at raising awareness), screening, clinical management, advocacy, research, monitoring and evaluation related activities in the bid to combat NCDs. For the 2021 project year, the following activities and achievements per program pillar were recorded by the Non-communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Program (NCD-PCP):

Activities per Program Pillar

In the past, the NCD-PCP operated under 7 major pillars: population-based lifestyle intervention; screening and referrals; capacity building; research; advocacy, networking and partnership; resource mobilization; and monitoring and evaluation. These were later on revised in the year 2018 to 6 pillars, which include: Population based intervention; Clinical management; Capacity Building, Monitoring and Evaluation; Advocacy and Research. The achievements and activities carried out per pillar in the course of the project year are as follows:

Introduction

Activities per Program Pillar

Our Services

Population based Intervention

Clinical Management

Monitoring & Evaluation

Capacity Building

Advocacy

Research