Project description
Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases in Benin and Togo
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide; 74 % of deaths are attributed to NCDs. In low- and middle-income countries, inadequate training and resources for primary care providers contribute to significant treatment gaps: over 80 % of people with hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy or mental disorders are not treated. It can be even worse for those with multiple long-term conditions. The EU-funded EMPOWER project aims to reduce the burden of NCDs in Benin and Togo. It will train community health workers (CHWs) and healthcare providers in evidence-based NCD management and provide a digital tool for screening and monitoring. CHWs will lead community activities, including NCD screenings and follow-ups. The project will assess effectiveness and inform future scaling efforts.
Objective
With 74% of deaths and over 75% of all Disability Adjusted Life Years, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), primary care providers often lack sufficient training and resources to effectively diagnose and manage NCDs, while health centres and information systems are poorly organised to ensure continuity of care. Consequently, treatment gaps—defined as the proportion of individuals with a disease who are not treated—are alarmingly high: 82% for hypertension, 80% for diabetes, and 75–85% for epilepsy and mental disorders. The situation is even more critical for individuals with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). EMPOWER aims to reduce the burden of MLTC NCDs in Benin and Togo by closing treatment gaps through interventions previously validated in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The project will optimise existing human resources, such as community health workers (CHWs), nurses, midwives, and GPs, by training them in evidence-based NCD management strategies (WHO-PEN and WHO mhGAP) and equipping them with a digital tool. The android-based app will streamline the collection of key indicators for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of NCDs, while enhancing communication among healthcare providers. CHWs will coordinate a comprehensive package of community-based activities, including NCD screening (targeting cardiometabolic diseases, mental disorders, and epilepsy), risk factor assessments, health education, regular care and follow-up. The 4-year project comprises 3 phases: Phase A, a mixed-methods assessment to gather insights from patients, CHWs and healthcare providers, guiding the adaptation of intervention and tools; Phase B, the implementation of the intervention; and Phase C, a hybrid evaluation of effectiveness outcomes (treatment gaps, NCD-related events, clinical parameters, quality of life, stigma, cost-effectiveness - intervention vs control) and implementation outcomes using the RE-AIM framework. This will inform future scaling-ups.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- medical and health sciences health sciences health care services eHealth
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology epilepsy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry anxiety disorders
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.1 - Health
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.1.3 - Non-Communicable and Rare Diseases
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-13
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
87032 Limoges
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.