Lifelong Care for Children with Chronic Conditions: A discussion series

May 14, 2021 - July 9, 2021
Online

This discussion series, focused on care for children with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is hosted by the Re-imagining the Package of Care for Children subgroup of the Task Force in collaboration with UNICEF, Program Division - Health, Child and Community Health Unit. Health systems in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) are experiencing an increasing burden of chronic conditions in children, including NCDs such as heart disease and diabetes. Chronic infectious diseases, such as HIV, require long-term, often lifelong management. Other chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and rheumatic heart disease have posed long-standing challenges to LMICs, but have not received adequate targeted attention in health systems. These systems are currently designed to be reactive rather than proactive, addressing “episodic care” needs rather than “chronic care” needs for children. During the series, UNICEF will present and seek feedback on an early, working framework on integrating NCDs into primary health care and the referral system.

Moderators:

  • Raoul Bermejo, Health Specialist, UNICEF 
  • Cara Endyke Doran, Senior Director, Health Team, PCI, a Global Communities Partner

Session One: A Population Health Approach to Address the Burden of Congenital Heart Disease in Kerala, India - May 14, 2021

Presenters:

  • Dr. Sreehari Madhavankutty Nair, Nodal Officer Child Health, National Health Mission, Department of Health, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
  • Bistra Zheleva, Vice President of Global Strategy and Advocacy, Children's HeartLink
  • Nande Putta, Program Specialist, Child Survival, UNICEF

Session Two: HIV, Sickle Cell Disease and Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Case Studies from LMICs - June 25, 2021

Presenters:

  • Thandi Tumelo, Program Manager, PCI, a Global Communities Partner, Botswana
  • Dr. Vivian Paintsil, Senior Specialist Paediatrician - KATH, Senior Lecturer - KNUST, Ghana 
  • Graham Ogle, General Manager, Life for a Child and Adjunct Professor, University of Sydney

Session Three: An Integrated NCD Package of Services Following the PEN-Plus Strategy in Mozambique - July 9, 2021

Presenter:

  • Dr. Ana Olga Hausse Mocumbi, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, National Institute of Health, Mozambique & Associate Professor of Cardiology, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane