The unprecedented emergence of Covid-19 as a global health crisis has somewhat eclipsed an invisible pandemic that has been ravaging many countries: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
NCDs kill the most people — at least 40 million yearly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). They include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer.
Similarly, infectious diseases kill about 17 million people annually with the leading killers being tuberculosis (TB), HIV/Aids and malaria. Together, non-communicable and infectious diseases have fuelled what has been described as a ‘double disease’ burden afflicting the global public health system.
Covid-19 is a deadly pandemic that has, in four months since emerging in China, already claimed over 200,000 lives. Although it falls within the highly infectious disease category, Covid-19 poses a new and significant threat, creating a triple crisis scenario for the global health system.
This requires a concerted response in not only taming Covid-19 but also stemming the potential worsening of the double disease challenge posed by non-communicable and infectious diseases.
Kenya has almost 1,000 confirmed positive cases with the number expected to rise as the government accelerates mass testing. With the anticipated surge, there is an urgent need to tackle this triple public health crisis on two fronts.
On the first front, we need to prioritise vulnerable groups, especially those battling chronic NCDs. Medical experts say such people are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19, meaning this vulnerable group needs more attention than ever before.
We need to ensure public and private health providers continue to prioritise care for those living with NCDs, even as the health system braces for a surge in community transmission of Covid-19 cases. This co-morbidity dimension requires a new approach to NCD management, including emphasising self-care as a primary aspect of Covid-19 prevention among communities.
The WHO has created a technical working group to help countries to better manage risk factors and limit the impact of Covid-19 on those living with NCDs. This underscores the importance of prioritising NCDs as part of the global effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
We also need to emphasise key Covid-19 messaging in reinforcing NCD prevention strategies. This includes adoption of healthy lifestyle habits like a balanced diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake and adequate sleep.
Notably, the Ministry of Health, in its Covid-19 regular updates, has been encouraging Kenyans to embrace healthy lifestyle habits that, besides helping to curb infections, are also essential in managing NCDs.
Good hygiene is at the core of Covid-19 messaging and should be emphasised alongside NCD preventive measures in promoting public health awareness and as part of risk communication, especially to vulnerable groups.
Incidentally, regular washing of hands, a key Covid-19 prevention tactic, is an effective weapon against infectious diseases such as cholera and in controlling transmission of infections in healthcare settings.
On the second front, we need to urgently ramp up the capacity of our health system to cope with the triple disease crisis. Health facilities play a valuable role in the management of non-communicable and infectious diseases. But they could also be the weak link in addressing this crisis.
Mobilisation of health systems through adequate resourcing in terms of equipment, personnel and drugs is, therefore, vital in tackling the coronavirus and other equally high-risk medical conditions.
With the national universal health coverage (UHC) programme at the nascent stages, and health insurance uptake still low, many families could find themselves struggling to access quality and affordable healthcare, especially if one contracts the coronavirus.
Families affected by NCDs will be more disadvantaged as they are not only vulnerable to Covid-19 but also face extreme financial challenges.
It may be too early to predict the scale of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on health insurance providers but medical underwriters could see rising costs and increased claims.
To reduce the triple health burden on individuals, families, communities, healthcare providers and medical insurers, we must go back to the basics by encouraging everyone to embrace healthy lifestyles so as to be safe from Covid-19 and other deadly diseases.
