Managing projects addressing non-communicable diseases: Operational guidelines for field staff

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent an increasing global challenge. A majority of NCD-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where numerous humanitarian crises are currently playing out. An informal, interagency working group was formed to streamline approaches and explore ways to improve NCD management in humanitarian settings. This working group, led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, was composed of members of the World Health Organization, Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and others. It teamed up with the University of Geneva and Geneva University Hospitals on this initiative. In 2018, the working group produced a report titled "Operational Guidelines of NCD management in humanitarian settings". That report has now been adapted for use by ICRC health professionals engaged in delivering NCD-related health-care services in emergency settings. It describes the rationale and guiding principles for addressing NCDs during the initial, acute and continuing response phases. Although these guidelines are primarily designed for health programme managers and thus do not include clinical guidance, they refer to clinical tools that other team members might find useful in their work.