News and Features
PEN-Plus: A Holistic Approach to Healthcare
“It is inconceivable that a 20-year-old man would weigh only 55 pounds,” said Bright Mailosi, a specialist in noncommunicable diseases. “So much could have been done to intervene when he was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Although I wish PEN-Plus had arrived in Karonga years earlier, I’m excited that we’ve changed the narrative of how complex NCDs are managed in rural areas.”
Uganda Ministry of Health Celebrates PEN-Plus Launch
The Uganda Ministry of Health, the local government of the Kumi District, and the Uganda Initiative for Integrated Management of Noncommunicable Diseases hosted a celebration of the launch of PEN-Plus in Uganda on 23 November.
Network Team Aligns with the Ministry of Health and PEN-Plus Partners in Nepal
A team of NCDI Poverty Network technical experts recently traveled to Nepal to align with partners following the Ministry of Health’s decision to expand PEN-Plus to four more district hospitals. The Network group spent the week collaborating with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the Kathmandu Institute of Children Health (KIOCH) to understand how the success of PEN-Plus initiation in Nepal can be replicated nationally.
Kenya Ministry of Health Celebrates PEN-Plus Launch
The Kenya Ministry of Health, the county government of Vihiga, and NCD Alliance Kenya hosted a celebration of the launch of PEN-Plus in Kenya on June 19.
“Help for Life and Health for All”: CUAMM and Ministry of Health Open PEN-Plus Clinic in Sierra Leone
“Help for life and health for all!” wrote Dr. Giacamo Marro of Doctors with Africa CUAMM on the Italian NGO’s blog. “With this message of hope and commitment, chosen by the health personnel, the PEN-Plus clinic for chronic non-communicable diseases at the government hospital in Pujehun was officially opened in a facility rehabilitated by CUAMM. This is a big step forward, achieved thanks to the PEN-Plus project, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, with funds from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the NCDI Poverty Network.”
Major Milestones for the Three East African Countries Implementing PEN-Plus
Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia are on track to open their first PEN-Plus clinics and training sites in the coming months.
Network Co-Chairs Dr. Ana Mocumbi and Dr. Gene Bukhman Travel to Sofala Province Ahead of PEN-Plus Implementation in Mozambique
NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Dr. Ana Mocumbi and the Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub team recently hosted NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Dr. Gene Bukhman and Director of Programs Dr. Emily Wroe for a three-day visit to the provinces of Maputo and Sofala as Mozambique prepares to implement PEN-Plus.
Network Co-Chair Gene Bukhman visits Lusaka, as Zambia prepares to initiate PEN-Plus services
As Zambia prepares to open its first two PEN-Plus clinics, NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Gene Bukhman traveled to Lusaka in mid-May.
Malawi moves ahead with national scale-up of PEN-Plus
The Malawi PEN-Plus Steering Committee held its first meeting on 16 September 2021. The Steering Committee will oversee implementation of the Malawi PEN-Plus Operational Plan adopted in May.
Malawi Launches Operational Plan for National Scale-Up of PEN-Plus
On May 27, Malawi took a major step toward national scale-up of integrated chronic care services at district hospitals for severe NCDs affected children and young adults (PEN-Plus) with the official launch of its PEN-Plus Operational Plan.