The silent emergency of chronic diseases in humanitarian settings: the case for scaling innovative cardiometabolic care solutions

Cardiometabolic diseases are an overlooked priority in humanitarian settings

People living with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), a subset of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and hypertension, face life-threatening emergencies when their care is disrupted. In humanitarian settings, the risk of disruption is high.

CMDs are a growing driver of preventable illness and death among populations affected by crisis, yet remain systematically under prioritised in humanitarian responses and policies for preparedness and response.

Context-adapted innovations can scale cardiometabolic care and strengthen health systems

Effective solutions for maintaining continuity of care exist, but knowledge of what works and how to scale it is limited. Innovations often fail to deliver sustained impact beyond pilots due to under-recognition and underfunding of local actors, strained health system capacity, fragmented funding, and weak integration into policy and response and preparedness frameworks.

Our research shows that bottom-up and context-adapted innovations can deliver impact at scale, reducing avoidable deaths while strengthening health systems across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Integrating and financing cardiometabolic care is essential for more effective humanitarian responses

This brief calls on CMD policymakers – including the WHO, Africa CDC, UNHCR and national governments – alongside operational actors and donors, both overseas development aid (ODA) and national, to elevate CMD care as a core humanitarian health priority.

It highlights how, in constrained funding environments, greater efficiency can be achieved by moving away from vertical siloed programming, instead using financing models that support integration of CMD care into primary care, maternal health, HIV/TB and mental health services, enabling better use of limited resources in crisis settings.

Prioritising cardiometabolic care now can prevent avoidable deaths and build resilience

Sustaining CMD services protects lives, equity and resilience. To prevent avoidable emergencies and deaths, action needs to be taken now. CMD care must be prioritised by policymakers, donors and operational actors.

NCD innovation pilots must simultaneously strengthen the systems they are embedded in. Existing resources must be used more effectively through integration and stronger learning systems, and additional funding should be directed to where it could create the greatest impact.

Want to learn more?

This policy brief draws on findings from our latest report, Innovations for Cardiometabolic Disease Care in Humanitarian Settings. Insights are available in Amharic, Arabic, English and French.

This research was funded by Novo Nordisk Foundation and conducted collaboratively between Elrha and the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC).