Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have surpassed infectious diseases as the leading global cause of death, with the Southeast Asian region experiencing a significant rise in NCD prevalence over the past decades. Despite the escalating burden, screening for NCDs remains at very low levels, resulting in undetected cases, premature mortality and high public healthcare costs. In this article, we investigate whether community-based NCD prevention and management programmes are an effective solution. We find that community-based NCD programmes are indeed well suited to increase screening and to transmit health knowledge. Due to their extensive outreach within the community, they can serve as a valuable complement to the screening services provided at the primary healthcare level. Yet, limited coverage, insufficient resources and a high staff turnover remain a problem
Effectiveness of community-based diabetes and hypertension prevention and management programmes in Indonesia and Viet Nam: a quasi-experimental study
