A noncommunicable disease (NCD) is a disease that cannot be transmitted from person to person, which includes a wide range of devastating health conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune diseases, and heart diseases. The NCD Alliance has been a strong advocate and a source of knowledge and practical support for the large number of people living with NCDs, as well as older people. During the pandemic, the Alliance recognizes the special challenges that this vulnerable population faces during COVID-19. It now not only has a dedicated webpage for COVID-19-related resources for people with NCDs and the elderly, but also advocates for these vulnerable people in the context of the pandemic.

The NCDA members, supporters, and 65 national and regional NCD alliances have advocated for country- and region-specific agendas and calls to action. For example, NCD Alliance Kenya emphasized that the well-intended governmental response to alleviate COVID-19 has unfortunately negatively impacted people with NCDs. The consequences are caused by the closure of NCD clinics as a result of the focus on COVID-19, disrupted supply chains for medicine and treatment, and increased transportation costs. Reduced access to NCD care and shortages of essential NCDs medicines have been reported. All these put the NCDs patients, especially those who are older, at a heightened risk for serious COVID-19 complications. Therefore, the NCD Alliance Kenya advocates for a number of governmental practices and guidelines to help those living with NCDs. This includes building robust supply chains, including people with NCDs in the target vulnerable population eligible for social benefits, providing clear guidelines for the patients to safely attend re-opened NCD clinics, and ensuring continuous education on NCD-related knowledge for the healthcare providers.

To learn more about the NCD Alliance’s actions to help people living with NCD, visit: https://ncdalliance.org/why-ncds/ncds-and-covid-19

To learn more about the calls to actions from the network of Alliances, visit: https://ncdalliance.org/why-ncds/covid-19/calls-to-action-from-ncd-civil-society