Benin NCDI Poverty Commission Sets Priorities

In August, the Benin NCDI Poverty Commission convened at the Ministry of Health in Haie-Vive to review NCDI data for an initial situation analysis. The goal of the three-day workshop was to establish a framework to outline the prioritization of needs and identify appropriate interventions. 

On 16 August, Dr. Salmane Amidou, the executive secretary of the Benin NCDI Poverty Commission, introduced the Commission and its working methodology. Professor Ablo Prudence Wachinou, the deputy executive secretary, presented the draft Benin NCDI Poverty Report. According to 2019 data from the World Health Organization NCD Data Portal reviewed in the report, NCDs are estimated to be responsible for 39 percent of all deaths in Benin. Cardiovascular diseases, injuries, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases lead to this mortality rate. The remainder of the first day was used to discuss the report.  

The second day of the meeting featured a presentation on the methodology for prioritizing NCDs by Pervenche Fotso, an epidemiologist for the Commission. The team discussed the approach for prioritizing NCDs during workshops held throughout the day.

The third of the situation analysis meeting concentrated on priority interventions. The Commission’s final discussions focused on the NCDI Poverty Report and the next steps toward a healthier Benin.