News and Stories


African Health Leaders Call for a Greater Investment in Integrated Models of Care

African Health Leaders Call for a Greater Investment in Integrated Models of Care

Dr. Ana Mocumbi, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network, represented PEN-Plus at a high-level side event during the recent 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. There delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases.

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Making the Case for Inclusion of Children Ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs

Making the Case for Inclusion of Children Ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs

A commentary authored by Network and UNICEF leaders and published in August by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health makes the case for better care for children and adolescents living with severe, chronic NCDs in settings of extreme poverty, a case that’s also reflected in the Network’s position statement ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September.

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Health Leaders Commit to Accelerating PEN-Plus in Africa

Health Leaders Commit to Accelerating PEN-Plus in Africa

At the second International Conference for PEN-Plus in Africa, recently held in Abuja, health leaders, policymakers, and development partners across Africa renewed their commitment to an accelerated implementation of the PEN-Plus to significantly expand access to care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases.

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Camp to Bring Together Youth Living with Severe Conditions for Fun, Solidarity, and Support

Camp to Bring Together Youth Living with Severe Conditions for Fun, Solidarity, and Support

Camp Tuli Bonse, an integrated summer camp, will bring together about 60 children, adolescents, and young adults living with either type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease for a week of health education, support, solidarity, and fun in Chongwe, Zambia, from August 18 to 22.

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Webinar Series Solidifies PEN-Plus Collaboration Among Francophone Countries

Webinar Series Solidifies PEN-Plus Collaboration Among Francophone Countries

Health officials from several French-speaking countries in western and central Africa have begun meeting in a new webinar series to share—in French—their challenges and successes in expanding care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases. The new series solidifies a groundbreaking collaboration that began with a February study tour in Sierra Leone.

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Partners In Health Details a PEN-Plus Clinic Opening in Sierra Leone

Partners In Health Details a PEN-Plus Clinic Opening in Sierra Leone

An audience of patients, clinicians, Ministry of Health officials, and community members recently gathered to celebrate a historic milestone for Sierra Leone: the launch of a purpose-built PEN-Plus clinic at Koidu Government Hospital. Partners In Health, the implementing partner for PEN-Plus in Koidu, has published an account of the clinic’s services.

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Zimbabwe Finalizes National Operational Plan for PEN-Plus
Network in Action Briefs Paula Byron Network in Action Briefs Paula Byron

Zimbabwe Finalizes National Operational Plan for PEN-Plus

Zimbabwe recently finalized its national operational plan for PEN-Plus, becoming the first country to do so among the dozen nations that began implementing PEN-Plus in 2022–23. “This plan shows the great commitment of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and its supporting partners to take the lessons learned from its initial experience with PEN-Plus to the next level,” said Dr. Neil Gupta, senior director of policy for the NCDI Poverty Network.

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The Missing Pieces: The Network Publishes a Statement on the Global NCD Agenda
Network in Action Briefs Paula Byron Network in Action Briefs Paula Byron

The Missing Pieces: The Network Publishes a Statement on the Global NCD Agenda

The NCDI Poverty Network recently published a position statement that identifies the crucial pieces—and populations—missing from the global NCD agenda. With this statement, the Network seeks to inform policy discussions in the lead-up to the Fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, slated for September.

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‘A Solution That Works’: PEN-Plus Praised at the Global NCDA Forum
Mike Lawrence Mike Lawrence

‘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.

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