CMMB Initiative Shifts NCD Care to a Local, Data-Driven Model
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are now the world’s leading cause of death and disability. They account for nearly three-quarters of all deaths globally, with 77 percent occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The trend is rising, and it increasingly affects people in their most productive years, undermining family incomes and national economies.
Many health systems remain oriented toward acute, infectious diseases, leaving a gap in capacity to manage chronic conditions that require lifelong monitoring and treatment.
A New Model for NCD Care
In Kenya, CCIH member CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) is piloting a new approach designed to strengthen access to NCD diagnosis and treatment at the primary-care level. The Noncommunicable Disease Impact Initiative (NCDI) is shifting from a donation-based model to a hybrid, data-driven structure that blends donated and locally procured medicines, improved supply-chain systems, and integration with national health policies.
CMMB’s model leverages recent national reforms—such as the Primary Healthcare Act, Facility Improvement Financing (FIF), the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Digital Health Act—to create a long-term system for reliable NCD care.
At the heart of the initiative is a focus on NCD commodity security, ensuring that essential medicines are consistently available and affordable. Interruptions in supply can quickly lead to treatment lapses, more serious complications, and higher out-of-pocket costs for patients. Strengthening supply chains protects continuity of care and builds public confidence in local health services.
“We have affordable diagnostic and treatment options, but the challenge is making them consistently available close to people affected by hypertension and diabetes. We are trying to support local efforts for commodity security,” said Mary Beth Powers, CMMB CEO.
How the System Works: A Data-Driven Approach
CMMB’s pilot works directly with public primary-care facilities to transform routine prescription data into accurate forecasts of medicine needs for hypertension and diabetes. Facilities receive initial seed stocks through existing government supply-chain channels to ensure immediate availability of essential medicines.
From there, dispensing is captured in standardized Ministry of Health registers and fed into a digital reporting platform that tracks:
- Consumption
- Stock levels
- Prescription patterns
- Patient outcomes
This creates a real-time picture of commodity needs and treatment trends.
A key innovation is the integration of SHIF reimbursement. Facilities are reimbursed for NCD services and then ringfence a portion of this revenue to procure future NCD commodities, creating a sustainable financing loop that gradually reduces dependence on donations.
By embedding NCD management within routine primary care, rather than through parallel programs, the initiative strengthens facility-level ownership and addresses persistent barriers such as weak prescription data, limited supply-chain capacity, and fragmented budgeting for NCDs.
Building on a Century of Experience
CMMB has a long history in medical supply distribution, dating back more than 100 years. Since 2000, the organization has shipped over $6.3 billion in medicines and supplies to 115 countries, supporting more than 4,300 health facilities.
The NCDI Initiative leverages that experience while supporting a transition toward locally procured, country-led systems. Digital planning tools now help forecast demand, prevent stockouts, and monitor treatment outcomes, making it easier for governments and local health managers to strengthen their own health-financing and supply-planning systems.
A Shift Toward Sustainability
The initiative reflects a global shift away from dependency on external donors toward health systems that are locally resourced, managed, and sustainable. For chronic diseases that require lifelong treatment, this shift is urgent and foundational.
CMMB’s pilot in Kenya offers a window into that future: integrating NCD care into primary health care, strengthening digital reporting, and creating financing mechanisms that endure.
A Story from the Field: Bringing Care Within Reach
A story shared in CMMB’s blog Equipping Last-Mile Heroes illustrates why reliable NCD care at the primary level matters. Clinical officer Eliud from Tseikuru in Mwingi North serves at Miambani Health Center. Before CMMB Kenya’s support, the facility faced constant stock-outs of essential medicines and basic diagnostic tools, leaving patients untreated or forced to buy drugs privately. “I felt uncomfortable, like I hadn’t offered the service they deserved,” Eliud shared.
Since CMMB Kenya partnered with the Ministry of Health last year, the transformation has been significant: the clinic now maintains a consistent supply of NCD medicines, diagnostics, and reporting tools, and holds a weekly NCD clinic, and patient numbers have nearly doubled. “Now, I feel very good,” Eliud said. “When I prescribe, patients get the medication and commit to follow-ups.”
Lessons from Partnership with Kenya’s Public Health System
Early lessons from the pilot highlight several factors critical to success:
- Co-development with government stakeholders ensured alignment with national reforms and strengthened ownership from the outset.
- Integrating patient voices provided practical insights that improved service delivery and continuity of care.
- Leveraging existing government structures, rather than creating parallel systems, helped optimize efficiency and strengthen the model’s relevance and scalability.
These lessons will inform future implementation as the model expands.
Scaling Beyond Kenya
CMMB is actively exploring opportunities to replicate the NCDI model in other LMICs. Many countries face similar challenges, such as limited NCD services at the primary level, weak data systems, and gaps in supply-chain and clinical capacity, making the model broadly applicable.
CMMB is already in conversations with partners in several countries, including Zambia, to co-develop locally adapted versions that fit national financing, regulatory frameworks, and health-system realities.
The Kenya experience is becoming an important foundation for scaling a sustainable NCD care model that strengthens national systems and improves patient outcomes across diverse LMIC settings.
Top photo: Clinical officer Eliud counsels Kandy at the Miambani Health Center in Kenya. With support from CMMB Kenya’s Noncommunicable Disease Impact Initiative, the facility has reliable access to diabetes and hypertension medication, and Eliud is trained to diagnose and treat the most common NCDs so patients like Kandy can manage their conditions. August 2025. (Content Hub Media for CMMB)