Purpose Health Care Africa (PuHeCA) and the Uganda Non-communicable diseases alliance (UNCDA) have signed a Cooperation agreement to strengthen efforts in prevention, treatment and management. UNCDA is the lead Civil Society Organization (CSO) and partner of Ministry of Health (MoH) in the fight against NCDs in Uganda. UNCDA is an Alliance of 3 member organizations: The Uganda Diabetes Association (UDA), The Uganda Cancer Society (UCS) and Stroke Foundation Uganda (SFU). UNCDA envisions “a society without preventable NCDs.
The partnership which was signed today 28th July 2023 in Kampala Uganda aims ,among others ,to increase public awareness of NCDs; build the capacity of their respective organizations through knowledge sharing, training programs, and collaborative workshops to improve the quality of NCD services ;engage and mobilize communities to actively participate in NCD prevention and control efforts.
This collaboration comes at a time when the burden of NCDs is taking incremental strides especially among the young people. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases kill 41 million people each year, accounting for 74% of global deaths.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) & injuries and mental health conditions constitute a serious impediment to achieving the vision of Agenda 2063 to build an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizens. The burden of NCDs among African Union Member States is higher than the global average.
This situation is not different for Uganda. Of the 97,600 deaths in Uganda in 2016, NCDs accounted for 1 in 3.
Mr. Daraus Bahikire, the Executive Director Purpose Health Care Africa, who signed on behalf of Purpose Health Care Africa (PuHeCA), noted that there is a worrying increase in number of young people reported to suffer from NCDs at unprecedented rates. He underscored the need FOR stakeholders to prioritize investment in enhancing NCD awareness among young people in and out of school if the burden is to be controlled.
“I call upon the young people to rethink about their diet, behavior and lifestyles in the times when artificial foods and drinks have flooded”
Mr. Christopher Kwizera, the team lead at UNCDA emphasized the need to mobilize resources to be able to reach all communities with the message on NCD prevention, treatment and management .He noted that NCDs are given less priority compared to Communicable diseases.
Below ;Mr.Kwizera Christopher (left ) and Mr.Daraus Bahikire (right) during the signing of the Cooperation agreement in Kampala on 27th July 2023 .
Above :Extract of the agreement
