2026 Articles

When Care Coordination Meets Crisis

Holder, Tameir; Sury, Jonathan

• Inequities in noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden are evident, given that high prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) renders children in humanitarian settings exceptionally susceptible to poor health outcomes.

• Weaknesses in LMIC health system infrastructure, such as insufficient funding, inadequate access to medical supplies, and workforce attrition, hinder proper care coordination which enhances NCD burden after a crisis.

• The contextual setting of a humanitarian response requires comprehensive multisector planning. It is necessary to maintain a pediatric-inclusive lens while continually investing in health systems strengthening and health systems readiness.

• Collectively, operational guidelines, frameworks pertaining to child well-being and survival, and select care models offer valuable insights to manage pediatric NCDs in humanitarian settings.

• Three domains emerged from the reviewed literature: (1) pediatric clinical care, (2) NCD management, and (3) humanitarian crises. More work is needed to develop literature that addresses the intersection of these domains.

Keywords: Noncommunicable diseases; Children; Humanitarian crises; Emergencies; Care coordination; Health systems readiness