Dr Alvern Mutengerere is the Regional Advisor for Severe, Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (PEN-Plus) in Southern Africa for the NCDI Poverty Network and the Centre for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is a Zimbabwean public health medical doctor specialised in Diabetes care and NCD program management, with over a decade of experience advancing equitable access to NCD care in rural and low-resource African settings.

Dr Mutengerere previously led the implementation of WHO PEN in Masvingo, Zimbabwe and subsequently spearheaded the country’s PEN-Plus pilot and national scale-up initiatives. His work has focused on strengthening health systems for NCD care through integrated training and mentorship platforms, decentralised service delivery models, strengthened supply chains, improved data and quality improvement systems, and sustainable clinic workflows aligned with PEN and PEN-Plus Programmatic Standards. He has played a key role in expanding access to care for conditions including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, rheumatic and congenital heart disease, sickle cell disease, heart failure, and hypertension.

His work has contributed to positioning Zimbabwe as an important PEN-Plus implementation and learning hub within the region. Dr Mutengerere has supported regional technical collaboration, cross-country learning exchanges, and harmonisation efforts across Southern Africa, working closely with Ministries of Health, WHO, UNICEF, CHAI, academic institutions, and implementing partners to strengthen national and regional policy dialogue around PEN and PEN-Plus implementation.

Recognised for bridging clinical expertise with large-scale implementation leadership, Dr Mutengerere brings a practical and systems-oriented approach to strengthening severe chronic NCD care across Africa. His work is driven by a strong commitment to equitable, patient-centred health systems that deliver high-quality, long-term NCD care for vulnerable populations.