Southern Africa Regional Hub

The Southern Africa Regional Hub was established to address a gap in the coordination of responses to the challenges of advocacy, policy, implementation, research, and surveillance of noncommunicable diseases and injuries in the region. Southern Africa is a priority region to improve care for severe NCDs due to its high proportion of people living below the poverty line.

Rwanda, Malawi, Liberia, and Haiti implemented PEN-Plus before the Network's launch and are expanding the program nationally. Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe opened PEN-Plus clinics and training sites at rural hospitals in 2023 and are developing operational plans for national scale-up. The Democratic Republic of Congo has completed its situation analysis and plans for priority setting.

The Southern Africa Regional Hub is based at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, which also hosts the Mozambique Co-Secretariat of the Network.

Objectives of the Southern Africa Regional Hub

  • Establish regional approaches for advocacy, research, and implementation that will lead to regional scale-up models for integrated delivery of priority interventions.

  • Strengthen the ongoing efforts of national commissions to implement the Lancet Commission's recommendations and advance the Network's strategic initiatives.

  • Support initiation and national scale-up of PEN-Plus clinics and training sites in Southern Africa.

Southern Africa Regional Hub Updates

Featured
Mozambique Minister of Health Visits Nhamatanda PEN-Plus Clinic</a>
Mozambique Minister of Health Visits Nhamatanda PEN-Plus Clinic

On 2 June, Mozambique Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Armindo Daniel Tiago visited the PEN-Plus clinic at Nhamatanda Rural Hospital.

Southern Africa Regional Hub Celebrates First Anniversary
Southern Africa Regional Hub Celebrates First Anniversary

The Maputo co-secretariat of the NCDI Poverty Network, based at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, hosted an event marking the first anniversary of the establishment of both the Southern Africa Regional Hub and the Maputo co-secretariat of the NCDI Poverty Network on 1 February. The event encouraged discussion on how the Hub can support countries in the region in implementing the PEN-Plus model.

Network and WHO/AFRO Teams Meet to Plan for PEN-Plus Implementation</a>
Network and WHO/AFRO Teams Meet to Plan for PEN-Plus Implementation

Momentum has continued since the 47 member states of the African Region of the World Health Organization adopted the regional PEN-Plus strategy to address severe noncommunicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities.

Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub Prepare to Open Office at UEM
Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub Prepare to Open Office at UEM

Five months after the launch of the NCDI Poverty Network Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo on 27 October 2021, the Mozambique Co-Secretariat is preparing to move into office space assigned for it on the main university campus.

Network Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub Launched at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
Network Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub Launched at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

Leading NCDI policy makers, researchers, care providers, and advocates, including the Minister of Health, His Excellency Dr. Armindo Tiago, and Dr. Orlando António Quilambo, Rector of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), convened in Maputo on 27 October for the launch of the Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub of the NCDI Poverty Network, which will be based at UEM.