Realigning noncommunicable disease monitoring with health systems priorities in the Africa region.

The article focuses on the current challenges and opportunities in monitoring noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally, with particular attention to the African region's recent adoption of a comprehensive strategy for severe NCD care. It critiques existing global frameworks, including the WHO's NCD Global Monitoring Framework (NCD-GMF) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for their limited scope—primarily focusing on four major NCDs and mortality between ages 30 and 70—while excluding a large portion of the NCD burden, especially among vulnerable populations in low and lower-middle-income countries. The article highlights gaps in health system capacity, access to essential medicines, and the continuum of care, advocating for expanded and disaggregated monitoring indicators that capture morbidity, financial risk protection, and effective coverage across all ages and disease severities. It underscores the need for strengthened data systems and more inclusive targets to improve accountability and health outcomes, aligning with universal health coverage (UHC) and the SDG commitment to leave no one behind.