Africa achieves full coverage for training of health cadres in Noncommunicable Disease risk factor surveillance

Brazzaville, 5 July 2006 -- With the completion in June of the training of health personnel from a group of African countries in surveillance of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the WHO African Region has emerged the first of WHO’s 6 regions to achieve full regional coverage in such training. 

“The implication of this is that the 46 countries in our region are now better equipped to evaluate their needs in terms of chronic disease prevention and management, as well as to develop appropriate policies to address the huge and growing threat of NCDs”, says The World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo. 

Health cadres from the 46 member States were trained in NCD risk factor surveillance at four workshops over five years -- in Cape Town (2002), Nairobi (2003) Ouidah (Benin republic) in 2004 and 2006 and Dar-Es-Salam in June this year. 

Dr Luis Gomes Sambo stated that the WHO-recommended STEPwise approach was used in the region-wide training which focused on a common methodology for defining core variables for surveys, surveillance and monitoring instruments. 

He further explained that STEPS was a sequential process, starting with gathering information on key risk factors by the use of questionnaires (Step 1), then moving to simple physical measurements (Step 2) and then recommending the collection of blood samples for biochemical assessments (Step 3). Surveillance of just eight selected risk factors which reflect a large part of future NCD burden can provide a measure of the success of interventions. These 8 risk factors are behavioural (Tobacco use, Harmful alcohol consumption, Unhealthy diet, Physical inactivity) and biological (Overweight and obesity, Raised blood pressure, Raised blood glucose, Abnormal blood lipids) and explain , for example, at least 75% of cardiovascular disease.

“The overall goal of the WHO STEPS Programme is to inform the development of suitable programmes to curb the current trends of NCD. Improved surveillance will ultimately be reflect in more effective health policies”, he said.
 

For more information contact: 
 

Technical contact 

Dr. Sidi Allel Louazani
Tel: + 47 241 39330 
E-mail: louazania [at] afro.who.int

Media contact

Samuel Ajibola 
Tel: + 47 241 39378
E-mail: ajibolas [at] afro.who.int