The Ministry of Health, the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS), and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) organized a two-day conference under the title: “Strengthening the Integration of NCDs into Primary Health Care” in Amman on 28 and 29 November 2022.
The conference aimed to promote the integration of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevention and treatment services in primary health care by convening national stakeholders and advancing knowledge sharing and progress, exploring interventions, and generating recommendations with a focus on the integration of NCDs in response to the protracted humanitarian crisis, the inclusion of marginalized communities, and lessons learned from Covid.
It included 22 panel discussions and presentations from the organizing entities and various national stakeholders and partners, including the Ministry of Education, UN agencies, as well as Jordanian civil society organizations concerned with NCDs and humanitarian response.
NCDs are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Jordan, constituting 78% of the total deaths, according to the Jordan National Stepwise Survey (STEPS) for Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Risk Factors (2019) conducted for both host and refugee communities. NCDs place considerable national health and economic burden mainly due to their high prevalence, where 22.1% suffer from high blood pressure, 20% within the age range of 45-69 years suffer from diabetes, and 18% suffer from depression in Jordan.
The gathering sought to achieve its objectives by sharing knowledge and exploring interventions in the NCD space, building on the national direction and guidance, the current burden of noncommunicable diseases, and integration efforts within the primary health care system in clinics, schools, and community-based interventions. The conference also explored topics such as partnerships needed with civil society, media, and academia to advance its efforts as well as the investment, financing of the integration agenda, and lessons learned on the continuity of NCD care during COVID.
During the closing ceremony of the conference, Anas Al Mohtasib, Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Directorate at the Health Ministry, thanked all participants and speakers for their valuable contributions and highlighted the importance of a participatory, collaborative approach to tackling NCDs in Jordan.
Amal Ireifij, Director General of RHAS, said the society is looking forward to developing an action plan to address conference recommendations along with the ministry and stakeholders, adding that “this conference is only the beginning of further joint action towards tackling noncommunicable diseases, exchanging knowledge, and building partnerships.”
Senior Advisor WDF, Jakob Sloth Madsen, said: “The WDF is very proud to be part of such an important convening in Jordan and to contribute by supporting national scale projects aiming to enhance integrated NCD-humanitarian responses, such as the one in Jordan. The Kingdom is providing a model that could inspire similar contexts regionally and globally, and the success in Jordan is due to a high level of government ownership and political commitment, academic guidance, strong stakeholders and partners network, and opportunities for broadened co-financing from other donor agencies involved in the developmental/health sector as well as the humanitarian sector through a coordinated mechanism.”
The conference was attended by more than 180 invitees from several ministries, civil society and international organizations active in the field of non-communicable diseases.
Source: Jordan News Agency