Research Sought on PEN-Plus in Africa
The registration form and call for abstracts are both now available for the Third International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa.
At the inaugural International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, held in Dar es Salaam in 2024, Wendy Bennett (in blue), co-founder of the Foundation for Cardiovascular Care in Africa, had the opportunity to discuss sickle cell disease research with Dr. Yusuf Dabo, a researcher at the Institute for Development Research at Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, Nigeria. (Photo: Courtesy of the WHO Regional Office for Africa)
Preparations are in full swing for the Third International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, slated for June 23–25 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The location marks a return to the first ICPPA setting: The inaugural event was held in Tanzania’s largest city in 2024. After a move to Abuja, Nigeria, last year, the conference series is returning to Dar with its biggest billing yet.
Hosted by the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, with support from the NCDI Poverty Network and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the conference will celebrate and highlight the accelerating momentum for PEN-Plus.
All 47 member states of the WHO’s African region have adopted the integrative model as their official strategy for providing care to people living in extreme poverty with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and childhood heart disease.
Referencing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the theme of ICPPA 2026 will be “Advancing Progress Toward SDG Targets for NCDs in Africa by 2030: Reflections on PEN-Plus Implementation, Progress, Challenges and the Future.”
To showcase ongoing research, the WHO African Region has issued a competitive call for abstracts, which, the conference website states, “specifically seeks research and implementation evidence aligned with the PEN‑Plus regional strategy.” Abstract submissions are due on April 15 by midnight, Central Africa Time.
In addition, conference registration is now open for in-person and virtual participation.
“This third annual conference comes at an incredibly pivotal time for PEN-Plus and its progress in countries across sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Neil Gupta, senior director of policy for the NCDI Poverty Network. He noted that several countries have launched national operational plans for PEN-Plus in recent months, and several others—including the conference’s host country, Tanzania—have plans in development.
“Bringing heads of state and leading health officials together for this conference will accelerate and improve implementation of those national plans,” Dr. Gupta said. “The conference also represents a great opportunity to invite and involve new partners with a shared interest in addressing severe noncommunicable diseases, a burden disproportionately borne by children, adolescents, and young adults living in low-resource, rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
“As more countries learn from each other’s experiences and generate new, innovative ideas, they can improve care for people living with these conditions and save even more lives.”