Browsing by Author "Shung-King, Maylene"

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    Analysis of Cameroon’s Sectoral Policies on Physical Activity for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention
    (2021-12-02) Tatah, Lambed; Mapa-Tassou, Clarisse; Shung-King, Maylene; Oni, Tolu; Woodcock, James; Weimann, Amy; McCreedy, Nicole; Muzenda, Trish; Govia, Ishtar; Mbanya, Jean Claude; Assah, Felix
    Physical inactivity is increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), urbanisation and sedentary living are rapidly growing in tandem. Increasing active living requires the participation of multiple sectors, yet it is unclear whether physical activity (PA)-relevant sectors in LMICs are prioritising PA. We investigated to what extent sectors that influence PA explicitly integrate it in their policies in an LMIC such as Cameroon. We systematically identified policy documents relevant to PA and NCD prevention in Cameroon; and using the Walt and Gilson policy triangle we described, analysed, and interpreted the policy contexts, contents, processes, and actors. We found 17 PA and NCD policy documents spanning from 1974 to 2019 across seven ministries. Thirteen (13/17) policies targeted infrastructure improvement, and four (4/17) targeted communication for behaviour change, all aiming to enhance leisure domain PA. Only the health sector explicitly acknowledged the role of PA in NCD prevention. Notably, no policy from the transport sector mentioned PA. Our findings highlight the need for intersectoral action to integrate PA into policies in all relevant sectors. These actions will need to encompass the breadth of PA domains, including transport, while emphasising the multiple health benefits of PA for the population.
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    Bottom-up innovation for health management capacity development: a qualitative case study in a South African health district
    (2021-03-24) Orgill, Marsha; Marchal, Bruno; Shung-King, Maylene; Sikuza, Lwazikazi; Gilson, Lucy
    Abstract Background As part of health system strengthening in South Africa (2012–2017) a new district health manager, taking a bottom-up approach, developed a suite of innovations to improve the processes of monthly district management team meetings, and the practices of managers and NGO partners attending them. Understanding capacity as a property of the health system rather than only of individuals, the research explored the mechanisms triggered in context to produce outputs, including the initial sensemaking by the district manager, the subsequent sensegiving and sensemaking in the team and how these homegrown innovations interacted with existing social processes and norms within the system. Methods We conducted a realist evaluation, adopting the case study design, over a two-year period (2013–2015) in the district of focus. The initial programme theory was developed from 10 senior manager interviews and a literature review. To understand the processes and mechanisms triggered in the local context and identify outputs, we conducted 15 interviews with managers in the management team and seven with non-state actors. These were supplemented by researcher notes based on time spent in the district. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration alongside theoretical constructs. Results The new district manager drew on systems thinking, tacit and experiential knowledge to design bottom-up innovations. Capacity was triggered through micro-practices of sensemaking and sensegiving which included using sticks (positional authority, enforcement of policies, over-coding), intentionally providing justifications for change and setting the scene (a new agenda, distributed leadership). These micro-practices in themselves, and by managers engaging with them, triggered a generative process of buy-in and motivation which influenced managers and partners to participate in new practices within a routine meeting. Conclusion District managers are well placed to design local capacity development innovations and must draw on systems thinking, tacit and experiential knowledge to enable relevant ‘bottom-up’ capacity development in district health systems. By drawing on soft skills and the policy resources (hardware) of the system they can influence motivation and buy-in to improve management practices. From a systems perspective, we argue that capacity development can be conceived of as part of the daily activity of managing within routine spaces.
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    Correction to: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Africa: a scoping review of its application and validation
    (BioMed Central, 2018-01-31) Hoosen, Nikhat; Davids, Eugene L; de Vries, Petrus J; Shung-King, Maylene
    Abstract After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that the authors listed in Table 1 are in the wrong order. They should be listed as follows:
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    Evaluation of the Western Cape Province Developmental Screening Programme
    (2003) Michelson, Lori; Colleen, Adams; Shung-King, Maylene
    This study evaluates the input, process and output parameters of the Western Cape Developmental Screening Programme in order to inform policy and practice regarding developmental screening in the province. The study describes the background, development and implementation of the screening programme and examines its current delivery, including the main enabling factors and barriers to implementation. In order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, a combination of predominantly qualitative and some quantitative data was gathered in stages from all levels of the health system (provincial, regional and district levels) using a number of different methods. In addition to documentary and literature reviews, information was gathered via structured interviews with key health managers at a provincial and regional level, a rapid facility survey and facility based assessments. Information gathered from interviews and focus groups was analysed thematically, while rapid facility survey results were analysed via Epilnfo. Despite numerous successes in its development and the overall awareness of the Developmental Screening Programme, developmental screening is not conducted uniformly across the province. Almost a quarter of primary health care facilities do not deliver any aspect of the programme and only one of nine facilities deliver according to protocol. This study concludes that despite the Developmental Screening Programme being a well-conceptualised and highly valued programme, its delivery has failed as a result of constraints within the broader health system. As previous evaluations of child health programmes have demonstrated, the overall transformation of the health system, organisation of service delivery at a primary health care level and gaps in human resource development and information systems impact significantly on the delivery of preventive service delivery for children. As official programmes for developmental screening are not conducted in any other provinces, the study results may also inform policy and practice on a national level.
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    Evaluation of the Western Cape Province Screening Programme for developmental disabilities in pre-school children: a summary report
    (Children's Institute, 2003-05) Michelson, Lori; Adnams, Colleen; Shung-King, Maylene
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    Evaluation of the Western Cape Province Screening Programme for developmental disabilities in pre-school children: full report
    (Children's Institute, 2003-11) Michelson, Lori; Adnams, Colleen; Shung-King, Maylene
    This evaluation study was commissioned by the Maternal, Child and Women’s Health (MCWH) Sub-directorate of the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape Department of Health and undertaken by the Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town. The evaluation took place from August 2002 to March 2003. The study was supported by a grant from the Health Systems Trust.
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    Exploring the contribution of a leadership development program on the implementation of improvement projects at a South African central hospital
    (2022) Patel, Bhavna; Shung-King, Maylene; Gilson, Lucy
    Background It is recognized that healthcare leaders of today would need to not only be responsive to the rapid changes around them, but also plan for the future of healthcare by creating a climate that is sensitive to the context of the organization while responding to the service needs. In the South African public healthcare context, where the service demands outweigh the ability to satisfy these needs with limited resources, leadership and leadership development is required to create more adaptive and resilient leaders and leadership. This PhD therefore aimed to study the implementation of a strategy to improve the leadership of the executive team at the hospital through a leadership development program, specifically analysing whether and how the program facilitated their capacity as leaders and their continuing work, with their respective multidisciplinary teams to implement improvement processes across the hospital. Methodology Given the limited knowledge on implementing a leadership development program (LDP) at a large South African central hospital, this study was comprised of two phases. Phase one of the study used a qualitative exploratory design, to explore the experiences and perspectives of the thirteen executive leaders on the LDP and whether these learnings played any role in developing their capacity. This was done by reviewing 242 documents and 13 one on one interviews with the hospital executive leaders, using purposive sampling. The second phase of this study used the insights of phase one to guide the analysis of four improvement processes initiated at the hospital. This phase explored which factors contributed to the success or failure of the implementation of the improvement processes in the executive leaders' respective areas and how their leadership of the process contributed to these factors. This was done by conducting in-depth case studies through focus group interviews with a total number of 36 participants in the respective teams and six one-on-one interviews with key informants (members of the team who had retired, but were integral to the process) that were involved in the improvement processes. Results The results of the study indicated the need for a context specific, practical LDP that provided benefit to the executive leaders, both as individuals and as team leaders. The executives reflected on their growth as leaders through building relationships, developing themselves through self-awareness and developing multidisciplinary teams. The analysis of the case studies in turn showed that leaders who engaged and supported their teams were more successful in their improvement processes. Concluding remarks This research summarized eight major conclusions drawn from the study as a contribution to what is possible in the public sector. Both the leadership development program and the case studies provided a broad conceptual framework of the Individual, the Team and the System as components that can be used to develop leaders, develop teams and improve overall leadership at a hospital. Based on the study learnings, the bottom-up approach and specific tools developed could serve as a basis for other hospitals to implement a leadership development program (LDP) and improvement processes in similar contexts. Further research on LDPs in a South African context could test the findings of this study and assist in enhancing the development of leaders at public sector hospitals.
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    Exploring the influence of intersecting social identities on the leadership experience of female managers in the South African health system
    (University of Cape Town, 2020) Reddy, Mishka; Gilson, Lucy; Shung-King, Maylene
    In the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, the importance of an integrated health system in which all health activities interact - including the multiple actors within the system - has gained greater recognition. In light of these transitions, the World Health Organisation and the Alliance for Health Policy and System Research called for a participatory leadership model, which engages with multiple health system actors in and out of the health system. It is a leadership model, which seeks to be inclusive of diverse and currently underrepresented stakeholders such as women. This leadership model is aligned with the gender equality movement in health leadership, which has rightfully gained global prominence over the last decade. However, it would be an oversimplification to assume all women in leadership positions have had to overcome similar obstacles. Treating women as a homogenous group tends to leave people out given the evidence that social identities culminate to produce unique experiences and therefore challenge feminist notions of the homogeneity of women. Drawing on data from a primary study on gender and leadership in South Africa, this study sought to explore the influence of gender, as it intersects with race and professional cadre, on the experiences of female health managers in the South African health system. The primary study noted that black females felt as though they were "left behind" throughout their leadership journey. This secondary analysis was undertaken using Bilge's intersectionality approach. It is a two-step qualitative analysis approach, which uses an understanding of intersectionality to extract data related to social identity and intersecting social identities. The analysis assessed 1) how gender, race and professional cadre discretely inform each participant's account and 2) how gender intersects with other social identities to create unique barriers for different women. It explored how intersecting identities might leave certain people behind - and how then to conduct health policy and systems research that can produce qualitative data necessary for creating formalised initiatives that address potential barriers. While recognising the enormous potential of participatory leadership, this study focused on the experiences of formally designated health managers who were able to reflect on their journey towards their current position and explain the barriers in this journey, related to their entangled social identities.
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    Exploring the perspectives of health service providers on mental health policy and interventions for school children in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (2021) Mgoqi, Khusela; Shung-King, Maylene
    Background: Mental health is recognised as a critical public health challenge globally, yet child and adolescent mental health receive low priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Children and adolescents spend a significant proportion of their lives in school, suggesting that educational settings are potentially important environments where child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) can be strengthened to improve early identification and treatment. This study explored the perspectives of key service providers on needs, barriers and facilitators of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Methods: This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach. In-depth individual interviews were conducted by one of the authors (SM), and the first author (KM) conducted a thematic analysis on the interview data. Results: There were nine interviewees selected who were diverse health service providers involved in child and adolescent health which included school doctors, school nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapist, clinical nurse and mental health nurse. Thematic findings were grouped under: a) perceived needs, b) barriers and c) facilitators. The need to improve intersectoral collaboration, following a referral pathway, a strong multidisciplinary team (MDT) and integration of services were all identified important in the delivery of CAMHS. The neglect of CAMHS in both education and health sectors and limited resources were identified as barriers. Facilitators included intersectoral collaboration, task shifting from nurses and doctors to community health workers, and committed health workers. Conclusion: CAMHS receives very low priority in comparison to other health issues such as HIV/TB in South Africa. There is an urgent need to address CAMHS in South Africa, and the school setting is an important site of intervention. Intersectoral collaboration, task-shifting, continuous training of teachers and health professionals are potential strategies that could be used to strengthen access to CAMHS in education sector and have integrated services in the Western Cape Province.
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    From fieldwork to facts to firearms control. Research and advocacy towards firearm control legislation in South Africa: A case study
    (Children's Institute, 2005-08) Shung-King, Maylene; Proudlock, Paula; Michelson, Lori
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    Intersectoral Action for Addressing NCDs through the Food Environment: An Analysis of NCD Framing in Global Policies and Its Relevance for the African Context
    (2021-10-26) Weimann, Amy; Shung-King, Maylene; McCreedy, Nicole; Tatah, Lambed; Mapa-Tassou, Clarisse; Muzenda, Trish; Govia, Ishtar; Were, Vincent; Oni, Tolu
    Noncommunicable diseases contribute the greatest to global mortality. Unhealthy diet—a prominent risk factor—is intricately linked to urban built and food environments and requires intersectoral efforts to address. Framings of the noncommunicable disease problem and proposed solutions within global and African regional diet-related policy documents can reveal how amenable the policy landscape is for supporting intersectoral action for health in low-income to middle-income countries. This study applied a document analysis approach to undertake policy analysis on global and African regional policies related to noncommunicable disease and diet. A total of 62 global and 29 African regional policy documents were analysed. Three problem frames relating to noncommunicable disease and diet were identified at the global and regional level, namely evidence-based, development, and socioeconomic frames. Health promotion, intersectoral and multisectoral action, and evidence-based monitoring and assessment underpinned proposed interventions to improve education and awareness, support structural changes, and improve disease surveillance and monitoring. African policies insufficiently considered associations between food security and noncommunicable disease. In order to effectively address the noncommunicable disease burden, a paradigm shift from ‘health for development’ to ‘development for health’ is required across non-health sectors. Noncommunicable disease considerations should be included within African food security agendas, using malnutrition as a possible intermediary concept to motivate intersectoral action to improve access to nutritious food in African low-income to middle-income countries.
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    Leadership experiences and practices of South African health managers: what is the influence of gender? -a qualitative, exploratory study
    (BioMed Central, 2018-09-18) Shung-King, Maylene; Gilson, Lucy; Mbachu, Chinyere; Molyneux, Sassy; Muraya, Kelly W; Uguru, Nkoli; Govender, Veloshnee
    Background The importance of strong and transformative leadership is recognised as essential to the building of resilient and responsive health systems. In this regard, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5 prioritises a current gap, by calling for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership, including in the health system. In South Africa, pre-democracy repressive race-based policies, coupled with strong patriarchy, led to women and especially black women, being ‘left behind’ in terms of career development and progression into senior health leadership positions. Methods Given limited prior inquiry into this subject, we conducted a qualitative exploratory study employing case study design, with the individual managers as the cases, to examine the influence of gender on career progression and leadership perceptions and experiences of senior managers in South Africa in five geographical districts, located in two provinces. We explored this through in-depth interviews, including life histories, career pathway mapping and critical incident analysis. The study sample selection was purposive and included 14 female and 5 male senior-managers in district and provincial health departments. Results Our findings suggest that women considerably lag behind their male counterparts in advancing into management- and senior positions. We also found that race strongly intersected with gender in the lived experiences and career pathways of black female managers and in part for some black male managers. Professional hierarchy further compounded the influence of gender and race for black women managers, as doctors, who were frequently male, advanced more rapidly into management and senior management positions, than their female counterparts. Although not widespread, other minority groups, such as male managers in predominantly female departments, also experienced prejudice and marginalisation. Affirmative employment policies, introduced in the new democratic dispensation, addressed this discriminatory legacy and contributed to a number of women being the ‘first’ to occupy senior management positions. In one of the provinces, these pioneering female managers assumed role-modelling and mentoring roles and built strong networks of support for emerging managers. This was aided by an enabling, value-based, organisational culture. Conclusion This study has implications for institutionalising personal and organisational development that recognise and appropriately advances women managers, paying attention to the intersections of gender, race and professional hierarchy. It is important in the context of national and global goals, in particular SDG 5, that women and in particular black women, are prioritised for training and capacity development and ensuring that transformative health system policies and practices recognise and adapt, supporting the multiple social and work roles that managers, in particular women, play.
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    Protocol for a Multi-Level Policy Analysis of Non-Communicable Disease Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity: Implications for Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Africa and the Caribbean
    (2021-12-10) Shung-King, Maylene; Weimann, Amy; McCreedy, Nicole; Tatah, Lambed; Mapa-Tassou, Clarisse; Muzenda, Trish; Govia, Ishtar; Were, Vincent; Oni, Tolu
    Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally. Despite significant global policy development for addressing NCDs, the extent to which global policies find expression in low-and-middle income countries’ (LMIC) policies, designed to mitigate against NCDs, is unclear. This protocol is part of a portfolio of projects within the Global Diet and Activity Research (GDAR) Network, which aims to support the prevention of NCDs in LMICs, with a specific focus on Kenya, Cameroon, South Africa and Jamaica. This paper outlines the protocol for a study that seeks to explore the current policy environment in relation to the reduction of key factors influencing the growing epidemic of NCDs. The study proposes to examine policies at the global, regional and country level, related to the reduction of sugar and salt intake, and the promotion of physical activity (as one dimension of healthy placemaking). The overall study will comprise several sub-studies conducted at a global, regional and country level in Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa. In combination with evidence generated from other GDAR workstreams, results from the policy analyses will contribute to identifying opportunities for action in the reduction of NCDs in LMICs.
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    Reducing Sugar Intake in South Africa: Learnings from a Multilevel Policy Analysis on Diet and Noncommunicable Disease Prevention
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-09-19) McCreedy, Nicole; Shung-King, Maylene; Weimann, Amy; Tatah, Lambed; Mapa-Tassou, Clarisse; Muzenda, Trish; Govia, Ishtar; Were, Vincent; Oni, Tolu
    High sugar intake contributes to diet-related excess weight and obesity and is a key determinant for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) gives specific advice on limiting sugar intake in adults and children. Yet, to what extent have policy ideas on sugar intake reduction originating at the global level found expression at lower levels of policymaking? A systematic policy document analysis identified policies issued at the African regional, South African national and Western Cape provincial levels between 2000 and 2020 using search terms related to sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and NCDs. Forty-eight policy documents were included in the review, most were global and national policies and thus the focus of analysis. A policy transfer conceptual framework was applied. Global recommendations for effectively tackling unhealthy diets and NCDs advise implementing a mix of cost-effective policy options that employ a multisectoral approach. South African country-level policy action has followed the explicit global guidance, and ideas on reducing sugar intake have found expression in sectors outside of health, to a limited extent. As proposed in this paper, with the adoption of the SSB health tax and other policy measures, South Africa’s experience offers several learnings for other LMICs.
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    The children’s nursing workforce in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia: generating an initial indication of the extent of the workforce and training activity
    (2019-05-07) North, Natasha; Shung-King, Maylene; Coetzee, Minette
    Background This study sought to identify, as far as possible, the extent of the specialist children’s nursing workforce in five selected African countries. Strengthening children’s nursing training has been recommended as a primary strategy to reduce the under-five mortality rate in African nations. However, information about the extent of the specialist children’s nursing workforce in this region is not routinely available. Developing an accurate depiction of the specialist children’s nursing workforce is a necessary step towards optimising children’s health service delivery. Methods This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design, incorporating quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (questionnaire and interview) components, to generate data addressing three related questions: how many children’s nurses are believed to be in practice nationally, how many such nurses are recorded on the national nursing register and how many children’s nurses are being produced through training annually. Results Data provide insights into reported children’s nursing workforce capacity, training activity and national training output in the five countries. Findings suggest there are approximately 3728 children’s nurses across the five countries in this study, with the majority in South Africa. A total of 16 educational programmes leading to a qualification in paediatric nursing or child health nursing are offered by 10 institutions across the countries in this study, with Kenya, Malawi and Zambia having one institution each and South Africa hosting seven. Data suggest that existing human resources for health information systems do not currently produce adequate information regarding the children’s nursing workforce. Analysis of qualitative data elicited two themes: the role of children’s nurses and their position within health systems, and the capacity of HRH information systems to accurately reflect the specialist children’s nursing workforce. Conclusion The data generated provide an initial indication of the size of the children’s nursing workforce in these five countries, as well as an overview of associated training activity. We hope that they can start to inform discussion about what would represent a viable and sustainable regional children’s nursing workforce for the future.
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    The effectiveness of school-based interventions addressing adolescent mental health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis
    (2020) Albertus, Cleo Alyssa; Shung-King, Maylene; Engel, Mark E; Hohlfeld, Ameer Steven-Jorg
    Mental health is fundamental to a person's wellbeing and quality of life, as well as, influences social and economic outcomes across an individual's lifespan (Barry, Clarke, Jenkins, & Patel, 2013). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (WHO, 2018). Mental health is considered integral to a person's overall wellbeing and can be determined by a variety of factors such as socioeconomic, environmental and biological (WHO, 2018). Mental health disorders are considered one of the most common causes of disability worldwide, thus resulting in the disease burden of mental illness being an important public health concern (ODPHP, 2019). Mental illness refers to all diagnoseable mental disorders and conditions, which result in significant emotional, social and behavioural changes that cause distress and hamper the individual's ability to function in everyday life (Pareketh, 2018).
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    The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Africa: a scoping review of its application and validation
    (BioMed Central, 2018-01-11) Hoosen, Nikhat; Davids, Eugene Lee; de Vries, Petrus J; Shung-King, Maylene
    Background: Child and adolescent mental health in Africa remains largely neglected. Quick and cost-efective ways for early detection may aid early intervention. The Strengths and Difculties Questionnaire (SDQ) is globally used to screen for mental health problems, but little is known about its use in Africa. We set out to perform a scoping review to examine existing studies that have used the SDQ in Africa. Methods: A comprehensive scoping review methodology was used to identify all peer-reviewed studies ever pub lished that have used the SDQ in Africa. Data were extracted and analysed to assess the countries, languages and SDQ versions used, the purpose of the SDQ studies, psychometric properties of the SDQ, and to consider knowledge gaps for future in-country and cross-country studies. Results: Fifty-four studies from 12 African countries were identifed, most from South Africa. Many diferent lan guages were used, but authorized SDQs in those languages were not always available on the SDQinfo website. Authors frequently commented on challenges in the translation and backtranslation of mental health terminology in African languages. The SDQ was typically used to investigate internalisation/externalization disorders in diferent clinical populations, and was most frequently used in the evaluation of children and adolescents afected by HIV/ AIDS. Sixteen studies (29.6%) administered the SDQ to participants outside the intended age range, only 4 (7.4%) used triangulation of all versions to generate assessments, and eight studies (14.8%) used only subscales of the SDQ. Only one study conducted thorough psychometric validation of the SDQ, including examination of internal consistency and factor analysis. Where ‘caseness’ was defned in studies, UK cut-of scores were used in all but one of the studies. Conclusions: The SDQ may be a very useful tool in an African setting, but the scoping review suggested that, where it was used in Africa researchers did not always follow instrument guidelines, and highlighted that very little is known about the psychometric properties of the SDQ in Africa. We recommend comprehensive evaluation of the psycho metric properties of the SDQ in various African languages, including internal consistency, factor structure, need for local cut-of values and ensuring cultural equivalence of the instrument.
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    Three Growth Spurts in Global Physical Activity Policies between 2000 and 2019: A Policy Document Analysis
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-03-23) Muzenda, Trish; Shung-King, Maylene; Lambert, Estelle Victoria; Brugulat Panés, Anna; Weimann, Amy; McCreedy, Nicole; Tatah, Lambed; Mapa-Tassou, Clarisse; Govia, Ishtar; Were, Vincent; Oni, Tolu
    Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute significantly to global mortality and are of particular concern in growing urban populations of low- and-middle income countries (LMICs). Physical inactivity is a key NCD determinant and requires urgent addressing. Laudable global and regional efforts to promote physical activity are being made, but the links between physical activity (PA), NCD reduction, and integrated intersectoral approaches to reducing obesogenic environments are not consistently made. This study applied a document analysis approach to global PA and NCD policies to better understand the current global policy environment and how this may facilitate integrated PA promotion. A total of 34 global policies related to PA, from different sectors, were analyzed. PA policy in mitigation of NCDs has evolved exponentially, with a progression towards addressing structural determinants alongside individual behavior change. The global PA agenda is primarily driven by the World Health Organization. Intersectoral collaboration is importantly regarded, but the contributions of other sectors, outside of health, education, transport, and urban planning, are less clear. Improving PA among key sub-populations—women, girls, and adolescents—requires greater policy consideration. It is imperative for PA-relevant sectors at all levels to recognize the links with NCDs and work towards integrated policy and practice in mitigation of the rising NCD pandemic.