- At the heart of Kenya's commitment to tackle NCDs is the National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2015-2020.
- The strategy proposes an integrated approach to combat NCDs and their risk factors.
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Kenya, like many countries around the world, is grappling with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey revealed that 50 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 are either obese or overweight and 20 per cent of men in the same age group were found to be obese.
According to the World Health Organization, being overweight or obese has a negative impact on a person's health, and both are major risk factors for several chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The burden of these diseases is closely linked to lifestyle factors, with poor dietary habits playing a central role. High intake of salt, sugar, unhealthy fats and low consumption of fruits and vegetables contribute to the alarming rise in NCDs.
The NCD burden threatens Kenya's quest to advance Universal Health Coverage, a central pillar of the health reform agenda, including prevention and care for NCDs.
Fortunately, most NCDs are preventable, and more focus is needed to deal with the rising cases.
A combination of approaches will be required to address the rising burden of NCDs in Kenya, including policy formulation and enforcement, continued collaborations, and generating more evidence on the NCD burden and public education among the community.
At the heart of Kenya's commitment to tackle NCDs is the National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2015-2020.
The strategy proposes an integrated approach to combat NCDs and their risk factors.
It includes integrating NCD interventions into existing primary healthcare initiatives such as community health services, maternal and child health, school health, disease surveillance, HIV, TB, and Malaria.
Having the NCD strategy is a positive development, however, the government must formulate and enforce comprehensive policies supporting and promoting a healthy food environment.
While there have been several interventions, there should be more collaborative efforts by stakeholders for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to addressing the complexities of the NCD burden.
Stakeholders such as the government, nutrition experts, public health experts, partners working in the food system, donors, academia, NCD champions, the media and communities must be in the same room when discussing NCD prevention and control.
In addition, there is a need for continued multisectoral collaboration between line ministries such as health, agriculture, education, trade and industry in implementing existing frameworks that encourage healthier food options.
There have been ongoing advocacy interventions at the national level to support healthy eating habits to reduce NCDs in Kenya.
Through engagement with decision-makers, advocacy partners in the health, nutrition, and NCDs sectors should continuously advocate for the implementation of healthy food environment frameworks and hold the government accountable for meeting its obligations.
In addition, there is a need to sensitize and create awareness among the public on the importance of eating healthy foods and the benefits of preventing NCDs.
Engaging and involving the community in the NCD prevention interventions is critical for ownership and sustainability. Community members share lived experiences on NCDs, which is part of the evidence that decision-makers need to inform policy.
Other than that, they are the primary stakeholders and beneficiaries of NCD prevention and control programs.
Research institutions and the government should engage with the community throughout the implementation.
A vital step to combating the rapidly rising burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries is to build local capacity to address the epidemic's evidence needs.
Currently, there is inadequate local data on the effectiveness of existing NCD policies and interventions in Kenya.
The government should invest more in data to inform the prioritization of resource allocation and track the impact of NCD interventions.
The journey to address the burden of NCDs in Kenya is collective and requires the commitment of individuals, communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers.
The writer is a Policy and Advocacy Expert on Global Health