News and Stories
Warriors Raise Their Voices—and Spirits—at Camp Wanwɔd
Singing, games, and reflections on community complemented lessons on disease self-management at Camp Wanwↄd, a PEN-Plus integrated camp recently held for young people living with either type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease in Sierra Leone.
Bukhman Foundation Provides Support for PEN-Plus Integrated Camps
The Bukhman Foundation recently announced a three-year partnership with the NCDI Poverty Network to support the expansion and evaluation of PEN-Plus camps. These integrated camps bring young type 1 diabetes warriors together with those living with other severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases for education about their condition and a greater sense of community.
Pujehun PEN-Plus Clinic Offers a Lifeline in Sierra Leone
Every few months, 19-year-old Mohamed Tejan travels nearly 200 miles from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to a PEN-Plus clinic in the southern part of the country. There he receives care for sickle cell disease, along with free medicine that is not available to him in the capital, free or otherwise. His long journey there—and more recently to a PEN-Plus camp—also connects him with a community of other sickle cell warriors.
Photo Gallery: Camp Wanwɔd 2026
Witness the joy of Camp Wanwↄd, a PEN-Plus camp recently held for young people living with either type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease in Sierra Leone.
‘Let’s Grow Together’: Voices for PEN-Plus Team Expands
Two sickle cell warriors from Kenya and two type 1 diabetes warriors, one from Uganda and the other from Zambia, recently joined the Network’s Voices for PEN-Plus advocacy program. “Your story makes a difference, your story has impact,” veteran Voices advocate Moses Echodu said in welcoming the newcomers. “And, importantly, your story is what will keep someone else hopeful.”
Scarcity of Data on Type 1 Diabetes Care in Low-Resource Settings Shows Need for PEN-Plus
A first-of-its-kind review of published studies on type 1 diabetes care found a significant lack of records and data on care in primary- and first-referral-level hospitals in low-and lower-middle-income countries. The findings do more than suggest a wide gap in care for people living with the disease in rural areas of low- and lower-middle-income countries; they also underscore the urgent need to fill that gap through proven integrated health care models such as PEN-Plus.
Transforming Pain into Power: Mentors Encourage Young Warriors to Become Advocates
Emmanuel Kisembo and Lwimba Kasongo—who live with type 1 diabetes and sickle cell disease, respectively—are tireless advocates for awareness and education about their conditions. They are members of the NCDI Poverty Network’s Voices for PEN-Plus program and were co-captains last summer at an integrated PEN-Plus camp in Zambia, where they mentored nearly 60 youth with noncommunicable diseases. In this article, they share their lived experience and reflections on mentorship, advocacy, and the power of integration in fostering peer support.
PEN-Plus Empowers Schoolteacher Living with Type 1 Diabetes in Sierra Leone
Thanks to her continued care at the PEN-Plus clinic in Koidu, Umu Barrie was able to complete her studies and begin her career as a teacher. “Receiving this treatment has encouraged me to be a role model,” she said. “I am now living my life to the full, and I want to help other people with diabetes change their lives.”
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.”
Type 1 Diabetes Study in Liberia Shows Value of Patient Education and Peer Support
A recently published study found that patient education and peer support helped people living with type 1 diabetes in rural Liberia manage their disease. “Their extra barriers to health,” said Dr. Alma Adler, the Network’s research director, “make it even more critical for patients in low-resource settings to gain both problem-solving skills and a strong clinical understanding of their condition.”
An Ethiopian Teenager’s Return to Health and Learning
For several years, without funds for transportation or food, Yismaw Nigussie, a 15-year-old living in rural northern Ethiopia, would risk his health even getting to the clinic that provided treatment for his type 1 diabetes. Then a routine assessment changed the trajectory of his life.
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.
‘A Real Winning Strategy’: New Partnership Aims to Improve Global Access to Type 1 Diabetes Care
ALIGN-T1D includes global funders of type 1 diabetes programs, leading producers of diabetes medicines and technologies, and members of the worldwide type 1 diabetes community.
‘Your Future Ends Here’ - Diabetes Warrior Bounces Back from Stigma
Naomi Mwila was attending college for civil engineering, planning her career, and dreaming of a bright future until a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes changed her entire outlook, as a college professor told her that her condition meant she no longer had anything to live for. Then an integrated PEN-Plus camp restored her ability to dream.
Voices Advocate Promotes PEN-Plus at World Health Summit
When it comes to advocating for health equity and greater access to care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases, Emmanuella Selasi Hormenoo doesn’t miss an opportunity. Undaunted by sharing stages with global health leaders, the Voices for PEN-Plus advocate represented people with lived experience on two panels at the World Health Summit in Berlin in mid-October.
Photo Gallery: Camp Tuli Bonse, Lusaka, Zambia
Photos from the weeklong camp show joy, education, and empowerment, as young people living with type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease shared experiences, learned about managing their health and, above all, discovered they were not alone.
Photo Gallery: Zimbabwe Hosts Diabetes and Sickle Cell Disease Camp
Young people living with type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, or both gathered in Zimbabwe in August 2025 for a week of health education, peer support, and empowerment, sharing experiences and learning how to manage their health in a camp setting. SolidarMed Zimbabwe, a PEN-Plus implementing partner of the NCDI Poverty Network, hosted the camp.
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.
PEN-Plus Conference in Africa Offers Virtual Participation
The second International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA 2025) will convene on July 8–10 in Abuja, Nigeria, with virtual participation available to healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.
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.