News and Stories
Study Shows Medicine and Equipment Gaps in Advance of PEN-Plus
A newly published study found that only two of 16 health facilities assessed in nine lower-income countries had all the functional equipment needed to diagnose and manage care for people living with type 1 diabetes. Two of the facilities had none of the necessary equipment.
Network Advocates for Expansion of WHO’s Essential Medicines List
The NCDI Poverty Network has submitted proposals to the World Health Organization suggesting it add analogue insulins and a triple fixed-dose antihypertensive medicine combination to its Model List of Essential Medicines. The Network has also proposed that WHO reclassify hemoglobinopathies to shine more of a spotlight on sickle cell disease and thalassemias.
‘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.
Health Officials from Francophone Countries See PEN-Plus Firsthand
A “game-changing” study tour of a PEN-Plus clinic in Sierra Leone introduced Ministry of Health officials from six other Francophone nations to the role integration can play in providing quality care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Strategic Plan Details Global Targets for 2028
On September 24, the Network officially published the PEN-Plus Partnership Strategic Plan (2025–2028). “It is our commitment, our testimony, and our witness to the collective progress of NCDI Poverty Network partners in delivering healthcare and hope to people in lower-income countries,” said Dr. Gene Bukhman, co-chair of the Network.
Network Publishes Scoping Review of Sickle Cell Disease Care
NCDI Poverty Network researchers recently published a scoping review of models of care for people with sickle cell disease in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Their findings confirmed the care limitations the Network has been seeking to overcome through the implementation of the PEN-Plus model.