Casablanca, Morocco — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) organized a high-level seminar on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Injuries prevention and control and Mental health promotion for senior public health officials in Africa. The seminar took place from the 8 - 12 May 2023 in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco bringing together 40 African Union Member States representatives and partners.
In April 2022, the Africa CDC five years' strategy for NCDs, Injuries prevention and control and Mental health promotion was adopted and launched in Addis Ababa. One year after its launch, Africa CDC conducted this high-level seminar to strengthen the capacity of Ministries of Health and National Public Health Institutes (NPHI) in NCDs, Injuries prevention and control as well as Mental Health promotion and foster collaboration towards scaling up the implementation of the Africa CDC Non-Communicable Diseases, Injuries prevention and control and Mental health promotion in Member States. A continental framework for an NCDs, Injuries and Mental Health (NCDIMH) Leads' Network for Member States peer-review, learning and support has also been validated and launched.
Opening the meeting on behalf of H.E Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General, Dr Mohammed Abdulaziz highlighted that "Addressing NCDs is an urgent and continuing need to build back better our health systems with lessons learnt in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. He further called Member States to work together to safeguard Africa's health by preventing and controlling NCDs".
The choice of the Kingdom of Morocco is not a coincidence as it is a leading country with great progress in the integration of NCDs into primary health care, workforce development and local manufacturing of the health commodities needed for the control of NCDs, injuries and mental health.
Field visits were organized to learn lessons and best practices from the Moroccan health system. Sites visited included centres of excellence such as the National Institute of Oncology and the Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Centre in Rabat; and other health facilities in Casablanca such as the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre, the Primary health centre for NCDs care and management and the Reference centre for reproductive health.
"The high-level seminar on NCDs is a great opportunity for me. The lessons learned from countries' experiences, scientific evidence, and field visits in Morocco, as well as the strategic orientations in the fight against NCDs and mental health have inspired me and will allow to better frame our response and better organize the national coordination by taking into account the multisectoral approach for prevention and control of NCDs and mental illnesses", stated Dr Naouirou Mhadji, Director of Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Union of Comoros.
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The senior public health officials in charge of NCDs, Injuries and Mental health from the 55 African Union Member States now constitute a networking platform for experience sharing and collaboration among Member States. Next steps include support countries peer-review, development of national scorecards for increased action, and regional scorecard to engage Heads of State and Government to address challenges and provide solutions to prevent and control NCDs, Injuries and Mental ill-health in line with the continental strategy.
