NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
NOVARTIS HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING PROJECT
In 2024, CHAK and Novartis partnered to implement a Health System Strengthening (HSS) programme to strengthen systems for NCDs’ management and ensure delivery of strategic value in an impactful, scalable, and sustainable way.
The Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) programme is an extension of CHAK’s Familia Nawiri project which was launched in September 2021 with support from Novartis. Using a population health approach, it focuses on community education, early screening, and linkage to care for five non-communicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular disease, diabetes (including eye complications), epilepsy, sickle cell disease, and breast cancer.
Implemented through a centre of excellence model across tertiary, secondary, and primary care levels, the programme runs in 12 hospitals across 10 counties. Key interventions include capacity building, disease awareness, and ensuring sustainable access to quality care.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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Africa Clear Sight Partnership Project (ACSP)
Africa Clear Sight Partnership Project has the goal of increasing awareness and education on presbyopia, the risk factors, associated impairment and effects on quality of life with the aim of alleviating the effects of the near vision associated impairment.
The project is funded by Restoring Vision through Africa Christian Health Associations’ Platform with the objectives of strengthening the capacity of health workers to offer screening for presbyopia and provide high-quality reading glasses to individuals identified with presbyopia. Objectives include:
- To build and strengthen the capacity of health workers to offer screening for presbyopia and provide high-quality reading glasses to individuals identified to have presbyopia.
- To reach out to 1.2 million people with awareness and education messages on presbyopia, the risk factors, associated impairment and effects on quality of life to create demand for screening and linkage to care.
- To screen 400,000 people for presbyopia and provide 100,000 reading glasses to individuals in need.
- To strengthen community and facility-based monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems for presbyopia interventions.
- To advocate for review of national guidelines and protocols to a more responsive management framework for presbyopia.
Improved Access to Quality,
Effective Pharmaceutical Services in
Church Health Facilities (Access Project)
Access project is a three-year grant (November 2022 to March 2025) by the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) focusing on bettering pharmaceutical services and care through improved access to quality-assured essential medicines and ensuring their appropriate use to maximize outcomes.
Access project is implemented in five focus countries : Kenya, Cameroon, Zambia, Tanzania, and Lesotho.
In Kenya, CHAK is implementing the project in 20 lower-level member health units across five regions : Eastern, Central, South Rift, Nyanza and Western. A key characteristic of these implementing health facilities is that they do not have pharmaceutical staff.
Project goal
Strengthened church health systems to ensure sustainable access to and appropriate use of safe, effective, quality assured, and affordable essential medical products and pharmaceutical services.
The project aims at strengthening delivery of sustainable and resilient quality pharmaceutical services in church health systems in sub-Saharan Africa by building human resource capacity to manage pharmaceutical services and products, improving supply chain and access to quality medicines and enhancing pharmaceutical systems strengthening and performance for the following health priorities:
Project objectives
- To strengthen church health systems in CHAK MHUs to provide improved pharmaceutical services, particularly with regard to non-communicable diseases (Diabetes), MCH, infectious diseases (HIV/ AIDS), NTDs, containment of AMR and IPC.
- Increased networking of church health systems towards improving pharmaceutical practices and health system governance in CHAK MHUs.
Improving Pharmaceutical Access
Through Continuous Training (IMPACT) Project
IMPACT is a three-year project implemented in partnership with EPN and Action Medeor. The project seeks to provide long-term training in basic pharmaceutical knowledge with a focus on medicine supply management, rational use of medicines and dispensing.
Training provided by the project is adapted to the local population context and their specific needs. The project also seeks to develop systems for gender parity, needs of the elderly and advocacy in health service delivery.
The project is being implemented in Kenya by CHAK, Rwanda by BUFMAR and Tanzania by Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC).
CHAK and other IMPACT project partners in Kigali, Rwanda, for a learning and experience sharing session on supply chain management practices.
PROJECT GOAL
The project seeks to provide long-term training in basic pharmaceutical knowledge with key focus on medicine supply management and rational use of medicines and dispensing.
The project is being implemented in 13 lower-level health facilities (5 faith based, 8 GOK) without pharmaceutical staff in Kakamega County and will run from November 2023 to October 2026.