News and Stories
Photo Gallery: UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia Workshop
In early June, delegations from all eight countries in UNICEF ROSA—the Regional Office for South Asia—convened in Kathmandu for a three-day workshop on severe childhood-onset noncommunicable diseases.
Improving Access to Care for Sickle Cell Warriors
In recognition of World Sickle Cell Day on June 19, a Lancet Haematology editorial cited both PEN-Plus and the first International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa as initiatives that can help ensure improved access to diagnosis, treatment, and care for people living with sickle cell disease in low- and middle-income countries.
Challenging Assumptions for Low-Income Countries
A recently published study of people living with type 1 diabetes in two rural clinics in Malawi found a high level of acceptability and satisfaction among those using continuous glucose monitoring, suggesting that the technology is feasible in low-income settings.
Building for the Future
The PEN-Plus clinic in eastern Uganda began as a gathering under a tree and has blossomed into a standalone structure with consultation and treatment rooms, a training center, and a pharmacy.
Back in Play
For several years, the local health center had dismissed Fatmata Fofanah’s symptoms as the common cold. Yet those symptoms continued to worsen. “We noticed her heart was beating fast and she was short of breath,” said her mother, Mariama. “Even a few minutes of play would make her heart race.”
From Words to Action
The first International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa provided a platform for health experts, policymakers, civil society organization representatives, donors, people living with noncommunicable diseases, and community advocates to expedite political and financial backing for PEN-Plus.
Beyond the Conference
During the week of the International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, NCDI Poverty Network members took advantage of several opportunities to gather, reflect, and renew their commitment to ensuring that lifesaving treatment reaches those who need it most.
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.
An Underpinning of Research
In advance of the International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa, the NCDI Poverty Network team compiled research resources on PEN-Plus and other integrated-science healthcare delivery models.
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.
International Conference Series on PEN-Plus in Africa to Debut in April
“PEN-Plus” was coined only five years ago, but already the integrated care-delivery model is receiving a spotlight on the global stage, with the launch of the first annual International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa. The invitational conference will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in April.
Integration Science Can Help Heal Global Health Inequities
Integration science can do more than deliver quality healthcare; it can also deliver global health equity solutions. That’s the central premise of “From Local Innovation to National Scale to Global Impact: Integration Science as an Engine of Change and an Agenda for Action,” the second annual symposium of the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity.
PEN-Plus: A Holistic Approach to Healthcare
“It is inconceivable that a 20-year-old man would weigh only 55 pounds,” said Bright Mailosi, a specialist in noncommunicable diseases. “So much could have been done to intervene when he was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Although I wish PEN-Plus had arrived in Karonga years earlier, I’m excited that we’ve changed the narrative of how complex NCDs are managed in rural areas.”
Uganda Ministry of Health Celebrates PEN-Plus Launch
The Uganda Ministry of Health, the local government of the Kumi District, and the Uganda Initiative for Integrated Management of Noncommunicable Diseases hosted a celebration of the launch of PEN-Plus in Uganda on 23 November.
Experts Showcase PEN-Plus in Southern Africa
The NCDI Poverty Network and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) hosted a side event, “PEN-Plus Partnership: An NCDI Poverty Network Initiative in Partnership with WHO/AFRO,” on 29 November at the 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa, held in Lusaka, Zambia.
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.
CPHIA Side Event to Focus on PEN-Plus in Southern Africa
The Southern Africa Regional Hub of the NCDI Poverty Network and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) will co-host a side event during the Third Annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), which will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, Zambia, on 27–30 November.
Surguja Sickle Cell People’s Health Conference in Chhattisgarh, India
Over 400 people came together on 1 October to advocate for the needs of people living with sickle cell disease in Chhattisgarh State in central India.
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.