News and Stories
Peer Support a Growing Focus of Noncommunicable Disease Care
With peer support having proved to be a key component of PEN-Plus care, the NCDI Poverty Network is developing an integrated training program for peer educators. “We’ve seen beautiful examples of young people who are unafraid to speak boldly about their condition, to be advocates, to be champions,” said Dr. Colin Pfaff, the Network’s associate director of programs. “They are living successful lives and are examples to others, which has such a powerful impact.”
At ISPAD, PEN-Plus Puts Type 1 Diabetes ‘In the First Sentence’ of Care Delivery
The PEN-Plus model of care is not only improving treatment and accessibility for people living with type 1 diabetes, but it’s also placing an emphasis on the disease that had not previously existed in some parts of the world, Dr. Gene Bukhman said during the recent International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes conference, held in Montreal.
PEN-Plus in the (Other) Spotlight During UNGA Week
During the opening plenary of the Sept. 25 High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, at the UN General Assembly in New York City, repeated mentions of PEN-Plus as a successful strategy for addressing NCDs formed a show of unity in a week often noted for dissension.
At a United Nations Hearing, Network Provides Testimony on Global Health Gaps
On behalf of the NCDI Poverty Network, Rachel Gasana, senior director of advancement, testified at the multistakeholder hearing on noncommunicable diseases, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The Network was one of 70 organizations selected to deliver testimonies as a prelude to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September.
‘A Solution That Works’: PEN-Plus Praised at the Global NCDA Forum
The NCDI Poverty Network’s recent week of advocacy in Rwanda included visits to two hospitals, a conference with more than 700 attendees, a panel with four expert speakers, and one recurring theme: the recognition that PEN-Plus is an effective model for mobilizing action and financing to increase access to care for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases.
‘Nothing For Us, Without Us’
The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes meeting in October shined a spotlight on patient advocates as key stakeholders in developing guidelines for type 1 diabetes care globally.
Springboard for Action
The PEN-Plus Partnership Strategic Plan (2025–2028) had its official launch at Springboard for Action, an event celebrating progress toward global access to care for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases. The NCDI Poverty Network hosted the event in New York City in September on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Photo Gallery: ICPPA 2024
At the first International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, the science was serious and the messages meaningful. NCDI Poverty Network participants showed their passion and compassion throughout the conference—and even shared moments of levity.
Network Hosts First Advocacy Summit
Following the International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, the NCDI Poverty Network hosted the first Voices for PEN-Plus Advocacy Summit. The event, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 26, brought stakeholders together to brainstorm ideas for increasing the scope and effectiveness of advocacy initiatives.
Stronger Together: The Power of Patient Organizers in the Fight for Global Health Justice
“People living with chronic conditions have historically not been considered important decision-makers from a policy perspective,” said Dr. Apoorva Gomber, coauthor of an opinion piece recently published in PLOS Global Public Health.
Steering Committee Advances Strategies for PEN-Plus Implementation
Members of the NCDI Poverty Network’s Steering Committee convened on 8 November for their ninth meeting. Among the topics covered were country updates, including those of Nepal.
PEN-Plus Partnership High-Level Advisory Group Convenes in New York City
The High-Level Advisory Group of the PEN-Plus Partnership met in New York City on 19 September to discuss the progress and future of PEN-Plus, an integrated care model that diagnoses and treats severe noncommunicable diseases in rural areas of low- and lower-middle-income countries, where more than 90 percent of the world’s poorest people live.
Network Participates in the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
NCDI Poverty Network team members carried the flag for PEN-Plus at the 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, held in Washington, DC, in August. The event marked the first time the international conference took place in the continental United States.
Language Matters: Both a PEN-Plus Primer and Promise
The NCDI Poverty Network has produced “Language Matters,” a primer intended to sensitize PEN-Plus providers to the communication nuances involved in caring for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases.
Building Solidarity for Severe, Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases: Team PEN-Plus Runs in Support
“I run in support of the millions of people worldwide who live with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Apoorva Gomber, associate advocacy director of the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “I’ve run a marathon before and fundraised in the past. Still, this event was special because of the person who motivated my fundraising.”
Mozambique Visit Highlights Need for PEN-Plus Clinics
The stark realities of living with severe noncommunicable diseases in extreme poverty became clear to members of the High-Level Advisory Group of the PEN-Plus Partnership when they convened in Mozambique in March to discuss strategies for supporting initiation and scale-up of PEN-Plus in resource-poor countries.
Apoorva Gomber Delivers Impassioned Plea at UN Hearing
“Where a child lives should not determine whether a child lives,” declared Dr. Apoorva Gomber, associate advocacy director for the NCDI Poverty Network. “And yet children with type 1 diabetes in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa often die within a year of diagnosis. This reality is morally unconscionable.”
Network Promotes PEN-Plus at ISPAD Conference
A team that included NCDI Poverty Network Steering Committee Co-Chair Gene Bukhman as well as Type 1 Diabetes and Global Health Equity Research Fellows Celina Trujillo and Apoorva Gomber traveled to Abu Dhabi to represent the Network and promote PEN-Plus at the 48th annual International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) Conference, 13-16 October.