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Apart from the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic, communicable and other tropical infectious illnesses remain serious issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Noncommunicable disease awareness and prevalence have increased across Africa, necessitating a rethinking of healthcare delivery to support populations dealing with not only HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, but also cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Many non-communicable diseases can be prevented or treated with low-cost therapies, but their use in the region has been limited. In this Perspective, we argue that deploying an integrated service delivery model is a critical next step, present a South African model for integration, and finish with research and implementation recommendations. A South African-inspired approach would expand on existing HIV-focused infrastructure created by Ministries of Health with strong backing from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. An integrated chronic healthcare approach has the potential to provide infectious disease and noncommunicable disease care in a sustainable manner. As health systems try to deal with the unique problems posed by COVID-19 and future pandemic threats, integrated care will be extremely important.
