The NCDI Poverty Network works with partners internationally to implement PEN-Plus, a proven strategy for providing lifesaving treatment to children and young adults living with severe noncommunicable diseases in settings of extreme poverty.
The PEN-Plus Model
The NCDI Poverty Network partners with low- and lower-middle-income countries to initiate and expand PEN-Plus, an integrated care-delivery model that brings lifesaving treatment closer to home for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases—such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and childhood heart disease—in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean.
Type 1 Diabetes
Unlike their counterparts in high-income countries, children with type 1 diabetes in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa often die within a year of diagnosis. This tragedy is unjust—and avoidable.
Sickle Cell Disease
Each day, in sub-Saharan Africa alone, approximately 1,000 children are born with sickle cell disease. In resource-poor settings, more than half of them will die before they reach their fifth birthday.
Childhood Heart Disease
Without proper treatment, 20 percent of nine-year-olds who survive acute rheumatic fever in low-income countries will die before they turn 15. More than 70 percent will not survive past 25.
News and Features
Our Work
Research
We inform the design, implementation, evaluation, and scale-up of integration-science solutions—such as PEN-Plus—to healthcare delivery challenges in low-resource settings.
Policy
We promote policies based on equity-informed priority setting and best practices in service-delivery design.
Training
We empower nurses, clinical officers, and other mid-level providers with the knowledge and skills to lead decentralized PEN-Plus clinics.
Implementation
We provide technical support for the implementation of PEN-Plus in lower-income countries.
Advocacy
We build a solidarity movement across PEN-Plus conditions and to advocate for funding for PEN-Plus internationally.
