{"id":96460,"date":"2026-11-14T09:16:03","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T09:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/?p=96460"},"modified":"2026-11-14T09:17:06","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T09:17:06","slug":"strengthening-ncd-care-in-guinea-bissau-a-new-commitment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/strengthening-ncd-care-in-guinea-bissau-a-new-commitment\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening NCD care in Guinea-Bissau: a new commitment"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Guinea-Bissau, where health services are already under significant pressure, non-communicable diseases (NCD), including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory conditions, are emerging as a major yet largely overlooked public health challenge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past few months, field assessments and close collaboration with local stakeholders have given us a clearer picture of this growing challenge. Thanks to the support of Sanofi\u2019s Global Health Unit<\/strong> and in collaboration with Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO),<\/strong> we are now taking action to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on our long-standing experience in NCD care in low-resource settings, and following an in-depth assessment of the health situation in Bissau, we have launched a new intervention at Sim\u00e3o Mendes National Hospital (SMNH)<\/strong>. The project aims to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of NCD, with a particular focus on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative responds to critical gaps in the health system, where NCD services remain limited, fragmented and largely inaccessible outside the capital, Bissau<\/strong>. Many patients are diagnosed late, treatment is often unaffordable and paid out-of-pocket, and essential medicines such as insulin are frequently unavailable. In addition, the lack of reliable data on the prevalence of NCD \u00a0continues to hinder effective planning and response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although infectious diseases still dominate mortality patterns in Guinea-Bissau, NCD already account for an estimated one-third of all deaths<\/strong>. Recent studies highlight high and rising rates of hypertension and diabetes, often undiagnosed until complications appear. At the Sim\u00e3o Mendes National Hospital alone, hundreds of patients with diabetes and cardiovascular conditions are seen every year, with many presenting in advanced stages of disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet only a small number of health facilities in the country offer structured NCD services, and fewer still have trained staff, clinical guidelines, or essential diagnostic tools.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our intervention aims to reinforce SMNH as a national reference centre for NCDs care. The project will work across four main areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Improving clinical care and diagnosis<\/strong>
Health workers will receive targeted training on the management of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases<\/strong>, based on international standards adapted to the local context. The programme also includes hands-on clinical mentoring<\/strong> and the introduction of updated treatment protocols.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, essential diagnostic tools such as blood pressure monitors, glucometers and other equipment will be provided to strengthen early detection and follow-up of patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Strengthening data systems for better decision-making<\/strong>
A major challenge in Guinea-Bissau is the lack of reliable health data on NCDs<\/strong>. The project will support the national hospital in developing a more structured system for collecting, analysing and using patient data, <\/strong>helping health teams and authorities better understand disease trends and improve planning and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Empowering patients and communities<\/strong>
The intervention will also support the National Association for Diabetes Defence (ANDD),<\/strong> strengthening its capacity to reach communities, raise awareness, and support patients living with chronic diseases. Activities will include information campaigns, community outreach and patient education, with the aim of improving prevention and early diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Supporting national health policies and guidelines<\/strong>
In collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, CUAMM will provide technical assistance for the development of national clinical guidelines for the management <\/strong>of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as well as emerging conditions such as gestational diabetes, which is currently largely unaddressed in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond immediate improvements in care, the project is designed to strengthen long-term capacity<\/strong> within the health system and its self-reliance. Continuous training<\/strong> of health workers, development of national protocols, and reinforcement of local institutions are central elements of the intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to ensure that knowledge, tools, and improved practices remain within the country, creating a lasting impact and contributing to a more resilient health system capable of addressing the growing burden of chronic diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a context where many patients still struggle to access even basic health services, strengthening NCD care is also a question of equity.<\/strong> Without action, chronic diseases risk deepening existing inequalities, particularly affecting the most vulnerable. Our intervention is therefore meant to make quality care for NCDs more accessible and to ensure that patients are not left behind in a rapidly changing health landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Guinea-Bissau continues to face multiple health and development challenges, this initiative represents an important step towards integrating chronic disease care into the core of primary and hospital services\u2014where it urgently belongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cStrengthening NCDs Management and Care at Sim\u00e3o Mendes National Hospital (HNSM)\u201d project is powered by Sanofi\u2019s Global Health Unit for sustainable impact.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new initiative to respond to critical gaps in NCD management in Guinea Bissau. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":96461,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1172],"tags":[1474,2554],"argomenti":[2519],"protagonisti":[],"luoghi":[3255],"class_list":["post-96460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-updates","tag-ncds","tag-diabetes","argomenti-ncds","luoghi-guinea-bissau"],"acf":[],"featured_image_url":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-150x150.png","medium":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-300x92.png","medium_large":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-768x235.png","large":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-1024x313.png","1536x1536":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-1536x469.png","2048x2048":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-2048x626.png","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Hero-desktop-interna-sito-2500_764-1-18x6.png"},"post_author":"Flavia Fiacco","assigned_categories":"Field updates","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96460"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96462,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96460\/revisions\/96462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96460"},{"taxonomy":"argomenti","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/argomenti?post=96460"},{"taxonomy":"protagonisti","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/protagonisti?post=96460"},{"taxonomy":"luoghi","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/luoghi?post=96460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}