WHO estimates that deaths from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are likely to increase globally by 17% over the next 10 years, and the Africa Region will experience a 27% increase. That is 28 million additional deaths from these conditions which are projected to exceed deaths due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional diseases combined by 2030.

In Kenya, NCDs are estimated to account for 27% of all the deaths.

In Embu County, Central Kenya, occupying an area of 2,821 km2 with a population close to that of Antwerp and Kortrijk cities in Belgium, NCDs patients, for numerous years, could only access medical services at high-leveli hospital of the county. This meant that many had to endure long and costly journeys to the main referral health facility, which was also in itself congested due to the high number of patients.

In 2017, MSF launched a projectin Embu, integrating medical care for patients living with NCDs into primary health care facilities - the dispensaries and small health centres which are the lowest medical facilities in the cascade of access and continuity to health care.

MSF Initiated a model of screening, care and management for NCDs that is easy to scale up and to duplicate by Ministry of Health (MoH) medics. By adopting a clinical mentorship approach, MoH medical staff received extensive hands-on mentoring, training and coaching to equip them with skills necessary in the management of NCDs.

The focus of the MSF program is on five NCDs conditions: asthma, diabetes, epilepsy,hypertension and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

On February 12, 2021 the world will mark International Epilepsy Day to raise awareness about epilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment, better care and greater investment in research.