A Scoping Review of Noncommunicable Disease Programs Evaluation: Bridging Gaps and Improving Frameworks in Primary Healthcare

This review offers an in-depth synthesis of evaluation methodologies applied to NCD programs within the primary healthcare context. The majority of evaluations predominantly utilized observational, cross-sectional study designs, with a primary focused on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, whereas conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer received comparatively limited attention. Evaluations mainly targeted public-sector programs and service-provider perspectives. In low- and middle-income countries, studies often relied on external funding and evaluators. Evaluation efforts often prioritized outputs over inputs and processes and were further constrained by limited information systems, workforce shortages, budget limitations, and inadequate evaluation frameworks. Collectively, these findings emphasize the imperative for methodological diversification, inclusive engagement of a broader range of stakeholders, and enhancement of domestic evaluation capacities to establish more robust, comprehensive, and sustainable frameworks for monitoring and assessing NCD programs.