Designing an Integrated Non-Communicable Disease Screening Programme for Community Health Centres in Lagos State

The rising burden of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in urban Nigeria requires systematic community-level screening programmes that primary healthcare centres can deliver efficiently alongside existing services. This study designed an integrated NCD screening programme model for community health centres in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A programme design methodology was employed, integrating epidemiological evidence on NCD burden in Lagos, situational analysis of current screening capacity at 20 CHCs in four LGAs, and stakeholder consultations with community health practitioners and public health specialists. The situational analysis revealed that systematic NCD screening was conducted in only 25 percent of visited CHCs, and no standardised screening protocols existed across facilities. Equipment availability for blood pressure measurement and glucometry was adequate in 75 percent of facilities but sphygmomanometers were uncalibrated in 40 percent. The integrated programme model designed comprises a three-stage screening pathway: community mobilisation and risk stratification, facility-based integrated screening bundle (blood pressure, BMI, random blood glucose, and waist circumference), and a structured referral and follow-up system for screen-positive individuals. Training requirements, screening register design, data reporting tools, and cost estimates are specified. Stakeholder review by 15 community health professionals and two Lagos State health policy officials validated the programme's operational feasibility. The study recommends pilot implementation in four CHCs across distinct ecological zones of Lagos State with formal evaluation at 12 months.

Keywords: NCD screening, community health centre, Lagos State, integrated primary care, programme design