Map of Africa with location of Tanzania and Malawi

Multimorbidity is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa due to high burdens of infectious disease (such as HIV) and rising rates of non-communicable diseases (such as hypertension and diabetes). The prevalence of multimorbidity increases as people live longer and can be worsened by HIV and the drugs required to treat it. Patients frequently delay seeking help until they are severely ill, affecting the poorest people most, meaning that emergency departments are key to healthcare delivery, and might be targeted to identify sufferers and link them to the most appropriate primary care services for ongoing treatment

 The team will define how multimorbidity differs from high income countries so that the intervention is locally relevant, and then test it in a clinical trial across both countries. The leadership team includes Charity Salima, a community group leader, ensuring that patients’ voices are driving the research agenda.