PlusNews examines how health officials are addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa, where “[c]ountries grappling with HIV prevalence are now faced with rising epidemics of chronic diseases.”

According to the news service, “The responses to HIV and NCDs can take similar approaches, including appointment and medication reminders, transport support, and counseling to support adherence and ongoing behavior change,” but “[f]unding … remains a problem for both HIV/AIDS and NCDs — more so for chronic diseases that lack the high-profile activist campaigns and celebrities found in the AIDS sector” (9/20). In a separate article, PlusNews looks at how NCDs and HIV/AIDS are competing for resources in Kenya (9/20).