The Health System Response To Chronic Disease Management In Sub-Saharan Africa: An Entry Point For Bridging The Gap Between Population And Health Care Needs For Non-Communicable Diseases.

This is a collaborative study between the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Nairobi, Kenya, and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Amsterdam, Netherlands, under the Joep Lange Chair and Fellows Program. This ongoing study aims to strengthen the health system's responsiveness to the management of both infectious and non-infectious chronic diseases in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study evaluates the existing capacity of the health system to manage chronic diseases and the policy environment that supports chronic disease management in LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study entails primary data collection (both quantitative and qualitative) in Kenya, secondary data analysis based on Service Availability and Readiness Assessment Survey (SARA) data from 26 African countries, a desk review of policy documents and a systematic review of chronic care models will be conducted

The study seeks to evaluate the existing capacity of the health system to manage chronic diseases and the policy environment that supports chronic disease management in LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Important gaps in the current readiness of facilities to manage NCDs in Kenya at different levels of health care were revealed, showing variations by disease and healthcare facility type. A collective approach is therefore needed to bridge the gap between resource availability and population healthcare needs.