SUNI-SEA - Scaling-up NCD Interventions in South East Asia

Background

The SUNI-SEA project aimed to validate effective scaling-up strategies of evidence-based diabetes and hypertension prevention and management programmes, and to enhance sustainable action for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, based on experiences in South-East Asia, specifically in Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension and diabetes, is increasing in these countries. Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam have national or large-scale evidence-based programmes to prevent diabetes and hypertension, detect people at risk and treat patients. By creating synergies in financing (health insurance and public funding), use of international standards (WHO-PEN protocols and local guidelines), community involvement (individuals and groups) and use of ICT (different apps), the three countries link NCD prevention and control to poverty alleviation and social security.

Aims

The primary aim was to measure effectiveness and cost effectiveness of scaling up NCD interventions in communities and primary healthcare facilities in South-East Asia. The secondary aims was to develop a series of guidelines, training materials and communication packages that can be used for community-based health promotion and screening for NCDs.

Project plan

The SUNI-SEA consortium aimed to apply a comparative effectiveness research with a participatory approach. The project defined the critical success factors for scaling-up hypertension and diabetes prevention and management measures by validating a) the contextual factors for effective and efficient implementation; b) the core components of community-based and health facility-based interventions; c) the most cost-effective and sustainable scaling- up strategies. The project created training and learning materials, drawing on lessons learned from these three countries and providing a cost-effective implementation and scaling-up model for worldwide implementation of NCD interventions.

Impact

The SUNI-SEA project demonstrated that prevention and control of NCDs, especially diabetes and hypertension, can be achieved through the synergy between community-based activities and primary healthcare services. The project demonstrated that this approach can be effective and cost-effective, if the quality of implementation of NCD activities is maintained, through continuous funding, and technical support of community groups. The project team have produced a series of policy briefs that explain the results of the project, with regard to achieving universal health coverage, scaling up and use of ICT in community-based healthcare. There are also country specific policy briefs with achievements and recommendations for Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Publications and output

This project has a related case study Strengthening collaboration between healthcare providers and communities for hypertension and diabetes prevention and control in Vietnam.