Healthcare System Readiness to Implement World Health Organization Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease Intervention in African Low-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases have been currently leading as the major cause of death all over the world for the past few decades, NCDs kill about 41 million people each year this equates to 71% of all deaths across the globe [1](#ref-0001). Primary health care (PHC) facilities are a very important factor in preventing and controlling chronic NCDs. PHC are vital and can be used if strengthened by health policies to help manage these chronic NCDs in LMICs. This paper will give a review and a summary on readily available data on the readiness of health facilities that are in African LMICs to incorporate WHO PEN guidelines (which are designed for PHCs). Methods: A search appraisal following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. A literature search of databases on records of WHO-PEN implementation in LMICs was conducted in March 2022. All publications done with no specific study design that recorded data regarding a country’s health system and its ability offer services in the prevention and control NCDs, according to WHO-PEN guidelines in regards to medicines essential for NCD management, basic equipment, availability of staff and treatment guidelines, and diagnostic investigations were considered. Results: A total of four articles were included in the review, no primary healthcare facility was recorded to have the required readiness score to provide required services as per WHO PEN guidelines. Conclusion: The Readiness of the health facilities in African LMICs for the implementation of WHO-PEN intervention was found to be unsatisfactory in all the studies included in this Review.