Integrated management of NCDs
The WHO Package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care in low-resource settings is a framework for strengthening the equity and efficiency of primary health care in low-resource settings for the integrated management of NCDs.
The package identifies core technologies, medicines and risk prediction tools, including the protocols required for management of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer.
Implementation of the WHO PEN is key to achieving objective 4 of the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2013.
Objective 4 seeks to “strengthen and orient health systems to address the prevention and control of NCDs and the underlying social determinants through people-centred primary health care and universal health coverage”.
The WHO PEN implementation tools enable early detection and management of NCDs to prevent life-threatening complications, such as heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and blindness.
