Conference abstract
Strengthen the health system to establish a chain of care and referral for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in rural areas of Tanzania (CARECHAIN-NCD)
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2024:21(33).29
Apr 2024.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2024.21.33.2364
Archived on: 29 Apr 2024
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: NCDs, referral system, Tanzania
Oral presentation
Strengthen the health system to establish a chain of care and referral for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in rural areas of Tanzania (CARECHAIN-NCD)
Katende A1,2, Salvatory SM1,2,&, Urio VZ2, Mahundi E1,2, Myovela V1, Mlula C1, Chitimbwa C1, Wilson L1,2, Kapalaunga MK1,2, Mafole ES1,2, Emanuel M1,2, Mbawala C1, Faustine F1, Mteki V1,2, Mbunda G1,2, Kitila JK1, Mwasongwe I1, Bucher C1,3,4, Mwambashi M1,2, Kasuga B1,2, Okuma J3,4, Weisser M1,2,4,6, Zoller T5, Rohacek M1,2,3,4
1St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania, 2Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania, 3Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland, 4University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, 5Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Berlin, Germany, 6Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
&Corresponding author
Introduction: this initiative aims to improve the management of NCDs among populations in the Kilombero Valley and Bagamoyo regions of Tanzania. This is by implementing an integrated protocol-based care and referral system across all levels of the local healthcare system, accompanied by a community healthcare worker (CHW) training program and public education campaigns aimed at enhancing NCD prevention efforts.
Methods: CARECHAIN-NCD addresses hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, obstructive lung disease, and cancer. NCD clinics are implemented at participating health facilities in Kilombero Valley on the level of health centers and village dispensaries, with clinical management standardized using standard operating procedures. Healthcare is supported by consultation and a clinical decision support system, allowing for expert advice and informed referral decisions. An IT system supports data collection, monitoring, and patient referral. Based on the Train the Trainer concept, training healthcare workers offers clinical diagnosis-making, point-of-care ultrasound, lung ultrasound, and echocardiography courses. Community health education is provided through clinicians and NCD counselors at the central referral center, radio casting, and CHWs. Community outreach programs offer NCD screening by clinical assessment and, if indicated by focused echocardiography, lung sonography, electrocardiography, blood sugar measurement, spirometry, and cervical cancer self-screening tests.
Results: project implementation aims to enhance NCD prevention by promoting early detection, risk factor mitigation, and healthy lifestyles within the community. Additionally, it seeks to enhance NCD care and access to advanced facilities for rural populations based on disease severity. Through comprehensive healthcare workforce training, knowledge dissemination will extend beyond project areas.
Conclusion: the chain of care model is vital for cost-effectively and sustainably extending specialized NCD services to rural Tanzania. This approach reduces the burden of NCDs and expands healthcare services across rural areas by leveraging expertise at all healthcare system levels.
Strengthen the health system to establish a chain of care and referral for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in rural areas of Tanzania (CARECHAIN-NCD)
Katende A1,2, Salvatory SM1,2,&, Urio VZ2, Mahundi E1,2, Myovela V1, Mlula C1, Chitimbwa C1, Wilson L1,2, Kapalaunga MK1,2, Mafole ES1,2, Emanuel M1,2, Mbawala C1, Faustine F1, Mteki V1,2, Mbunda G1,2, Kitila JK1, Mwasongwe I1, Bucher C1,3,4, Mwambashi M1,2, Kasuga B1,2, Okuma J3,4, Weisser M1,2,4,6, Zoller T5, Rohacek M1,2,3,4
1St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania, 2Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania, 3Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland, 4University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, 5Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Berlin, Germany, 6Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
&Corresponding author
Introduction: this initiative aims to improve the management of NCDs among populations in the Kilombero Valley and Bagamoyo regions of Tanzania. This is by implementing an integrated protocol-based care and referral system across all levels of the local healthcare system, accompanied by a community healthcare worker (CHW) training program and public education campaigns aimed at enhancing NCD prevention efforts.
Methods: CARECHAIN-NCD addresses hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, obstructive lung disease, and cancer. NCD clinics are implemented at participating health facilities in Kilombero Valley on the level of health centers and village dispensaries, with clinical management standardized using standard operating procedures. Healthcare is supported by consultation and a clinical decision support system, allowing for expert advice and informed referral decisions. An IT system supports data collection, monitoring, and patient referral. Based on the Train the Trainer concept, training healthcare workers offers clinical diagnosis-making, point-of-care ultrasound, lung ultrasound, and echocardiography courses. Community health education is provided through clinicians and NCD counselors at the central referral center, radio casting, and CHWs. Community outreach programs offer NCD screening by clinical assessment and, if indicated by focused echocardiography, lung sonography, electrocardiography, blood sugar measurement, spirometry, and cervical cancer self-screening tests.
Results: project implementation aims to enhance NCD prevention by promoting early detection, risk factor mitigation, and healthy lifestyles within the community. Additionally, it seeks to enhance NCD care and access to advanced facilities for rural populations based on disease severity. Through comprehensive healthcare workforce training, knowledge dissemination will extend beyond project areas.
Conclusion: the chain of care model is vital for cost-effectively and sustainably extending specialized NCD services to rural Tanzania. This approach reduces the burden of NCDs and expands healthcare services across rural areas by leveraging expertise at all healthcare system levels.
