Managing noncommunicable diseases in Africa: what can we learn from TB control?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, asthma, epilepsy, and mental illness, are becoming a major burden in sub-Saharan Africa but are often poorly managed in routine health care settings, say Anthony Harries from the Malawi Ministry of Health and colleagues in this week's PLoS Medicine. The authors argue that better management could be achieved by learning from the success of tuberculosis (TB) control programs.