News and Stories
Knowledge Exchange Focuses on How to Prioritize Severe NCDs and Injuries that Impact Children and Young Adults
The NCDI Poverty Network Secretariat hosted the second installment of the Network’s new Knowledge Exchange series on 28 June 2022.
Zambia NCDI Poverty Commission Announces PEN-Plus Initiation
The Zambia Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) officially launched the Zambia NCDI Poverty Commission Report on 29 June 2022 in Lusaka and announced that they will initiate PEN-Plus services at two district hospitals in the coming months.
Nigeria NCDI Poverty Commission Holds Priority Setting Workshop
The Nigeria NCDI Poverty Commission met in Abuja and online on 14 July 2022 to review priority non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) and plan next steps.
Major Milestones for the Three East African Countries Implementing PEN-Plus
Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia are on track to open their first PEN-Plus clinics and training sites in the coming months.
Network Promotes PEN-Plus at 4th Global Congress on Sickle Cell Disease
A team that included NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Dr. Gene Bukhman, Voices Advocacy Fellow Eunice Owino, and Advocacy & Training Associate Lauren Brown traveled to Paris in June to represent the Network and promote PEN-Plus at the 4th Global Congress on Sickle Cell Disease.
Cameroon Commission Sets Priorities Based on Situation Analysis
The Cameroon NCDI Poverty Commission convened in Yaounde for a four-hour meeting on 31 May to set priorities based on an initial analysis of the non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDI) burden in the country.
WHO Leaders Discuss PEN-Plus at the World Health Assembly
Leaders from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), WHO Headquarters, and other stakeholders invested in the implementation of PEN-Plus met in Geneva on 24 May to discuss PEN-Plus as a key strategy for decentralizing care for severe NCDs and providing the world’s most vulnerable with accessible and affordable health care for chronic conditions including type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart disease.
Network Co-Chairs Travel to Sofala Province Ahead of PEN-Plus Implementation in Mozambique
NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Dr. Ana Mocumbi and the Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub team recently hosted NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Dr. Gene Bukhman and Director of Programs Dr. Emily Wroe for a three-day visit to the provinces of Maputo and Sofala as Mozambique prepares to implement PEN-Plus.
Phase 1 Commissions Learn From Each Other in Fifth Learning Workshop
For the first time on 25 May, NCDI Poverty Commissions that launched in 2021 and are working on Phase 1 of the Commission process – situation analysis and priority-setting – presented to other Phase I Commission teams in the fifth Learning Workshop titled “Learning From each other - progress updates from Nigeria and Cameroon.”
Network Co-Chair Gene Bukhman visits Lusaka, as Zambia prepares to initiate PEN-Plus services
As Zambia prepares to open its first two PEN-Plus clinics, NCDI Poverty Network Co-Chair Gene Bukhman traveled to Lusaka in mid-May.
Cambodia NCDI Poverty Commission Convenes for First Meeting
The Cambodia NCDI Poverty Commission held its first official meeting on 20 May 2022. The Cambodia Commission is hosted by Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA) and the Ministry of Health NCD Division.
Steering Committee Discusses Future of Integration Science and Intention to Strengthen Partnership with WHO
The NCDI Poverty Network Steering Committee held its fifth meeting on 9 May 2022.
Burkina Faso Commission Celebrates Launch Event
The Burkina Faso NCDI Poverty Commission officially launched on 22 April 2022.
New Knowledge Exchange Series Kicks Off
The NCDI Poverty Network’s new Knowledge Exchange series kicked off on 30 March with over 80 participants meeting online to discuss the importance of prioritizing severe NCDs and injuries that impact children and young adults living in extreme poverty as a key to achieving universal health coverage.
Mozambique Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub Prepare to Open Office
Five months after the launch of the NCDI Poverty Network Co-Secretariat and Southern Africa Regional Hub at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo on 27 October 2021, the Mozambique Co-Secretariat is preparing to move into office space assigned for it on the main university campus.
Overcoming Stigma to Become an Advocate for Kids with Cancer in Uganda and Beyond
“I fought cancer and won, and now I’m fighting the stigma that people with NCDs are doomed to die, because everyone deserves access to affordable NCD treatment,” says Moses Echodu. “I hope others who have lived with cancer and other NCDs will feel empowered to share their stories to break down stigma and demand access to treatment for all.“
Two Liberian Physicians Will Become Their Country’s First Cardiologists Through Uganda Heart Institute Fellowship
Two young Liberian physicians – one an internist, the other a pediatrician – traveled to Uganda in mid-February to pursue three-year cardiology fellowships at the Uganda Heart Institute.
Research to Measure Demand for PEN-Plus in Africa Finds Ministries of Health Are Determined to Expand Access to Care for Severe NCDs
A study co-authored by researchers from the NCDI Poverty Network and the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) has found that health ministries in Africa have ambitious plans to address gaps in availability of services for severe NCDs by introducing and decentralizing care for insulin-dependent diabetes, heart failure, sickle cell disease, and chronic pain control over the next five years.
Rwanda Pilots Heart Failure Training Model to Facilitate PEN-Plus Scale-Up
A training model that combines in-person classroom instruction with a digital, e-learning platform has been successfully piloted in Rwanda to train PEN-Plus nurses and physicians in the knowledge, skills, and competencies to diagnose and treat heart failure.