Reach and Support for All: targeting Non-Communicable Diseases in Businesses in Tanzania
Reach and Support for All: targeting Non-Communicable Diseases in Businesses in Tanzania Non-communicable diseases in Tanzania Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 38 million people each year, of which an approximate 28 million occur in low resource settings [1]. Most NCD deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases (17.5 million annually) [1] and diabetes causes 1.5 million deaths each year [1]. In Tanzania itself, the percentage of annual deaths due to NCDs has been estimated to be around 31% [2] and is believed to be increasing due to urban migrations and dietary changes [3,4]. NCDs negatively impact the working class and businesses’ productivity [5]. Studies from high-income countries have shown that targeting businesses for screening and health program intervention is an effective way to reach people and to boost the economy [6,7]. Employee health programs are lacking in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, we sought to increase NCD awareness in Tanzanian busin