NCDI Poverty Network

05/26/2026

Less than a month until in Tanzania! For a primer on PEN-Plus, check out this February editorial by The Lancet Primary Care.

"In rural communities where people travel long distances to access care in tertiary hospitals, PEN-Plus ensures local decentralized care for less common NCDs that can have major long-term health impacts, including type 1 , sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart diseases.
Undeniably, PEN-Plus has improved quality of life and access to health care in some of the most deprived areas of the world, with...the program serving a combined catchment area of 25 million people as of 2024."

World Health Organization African Region

With shifting epidemiological transitions, and despite a persistent burden of infectious diseases in some parts of the world, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Low-income settings accounted for an estimated 75% of NCD-related deaths globally....

05/25/2026

Less than a month until in Tanzania!

05/19/2026

Thank you Doctors with Africa CUAMM for highlighting the impacts of the PEN-Plus model of integrated care for severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as type 1 , disease and childhood-onset . We fully agree that "stronger health systems require evidence-based solutions, local partnerships, and long-term investments in people, care models, and research capacity."

05/13/2026

Want to learn about for health equity and patient care, from rising voices who live with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases and are using their voice for awareness and policy discussions?

JOIN our public Advocacy Working Group meeting on THURSDAY, MAY 14 from 9 - 10 a.m. eastern, and listen to Voices for PEN-Plus members Emmanuella Selasi Hormenoo (left) of Diabetes Youth Care in Ghana and Evans M. Malik's of Kenya Mended Hearts Patient's Association and NCD Alliance Kenya.

REGISTER through the link in the first comment, below. See you then!

05/01/2026

On his very first night at camp near Lusaka, Zambia, while his fellow campers slept, 11-year-old Daniel Mulowa received medical treatment for a sickle cell crisis.

When the worst was over, medical staff asked him a natural question: Would he like to return home, given what he had just gone through?

No one would have blamed him if he had said yes.

What would you have said in that moment, at age 11?

Read on to see what Daniel decided, and how it might have changed his life.

CIDRZ - the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia
Sonia Nabeta Foundation

Daniel Mulowa, an 11-year-old with sickle cell disease, experienced a transformative week at an PEN-Plus camp last summer. The camp, held in Zambia for young people with sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes, showed the power of peer support, health education, and empowerment.

04/17/2026

Proud to have Lwimba as part of the Voices for PEN-Plus initiative, which promotes peer support, shared experiences, awareness and advocacy to improve care and resources for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases ( ). Breaking down barriers and raising awareness starts in the community. Together, we all can .

CIDRZ - the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

04/03/2026

As global health funding continues to face challenges, a four-paper series being prepared for publication in The Lancet will provide the case for integration science as a tool for unlocking significant gains in health equity worldwide.

More than 50 authors from dozens of countries are writing the papers. These experts represent a range of organizations and include academics, ministry officials, and people with lived experience from across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

“We’ve been seeing countries independently moving toward integrated care delivery out of necessity, but these efforts are often fragmented and narrow,” said Dr. Gene Bukhman, lead author of the series. “Integration science provides a data-driven methodology to make these efforts more comprehensive and effective. And, when you combine integrated delivery models with integrated social movements, you create the conditions for real progress in global health equity.”

As global health funding continues to evolve, more than 50 experts from dozens of countries are preparing for publication a new four-paper series that will offer integration science as a tool for unlocking significant gains in health equity worldwide. These collaborators represent a range of organiz

04/02/2026

Wonderful to see advocacy and education in action! Bravo to the incredible team CIDRZ - the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

03/27/2026

Proud to partner with World Health Organization African Region and Clinton Health Access Initiative to support Ministry of Health Eswatini in strengthening care for severe, chronic NCDs.

The Network has helped establish the kingdom's NCDI Poverty Commission, which has completed a baseline PEN-Plus assessment and is currently developing a National Operational Plan for PEN-Plus, the integrated model of care and package of clinical services that brings NCD care closer to home.

Mbabane— In a major move to increase access to care for severe noncommunicable diseases such as type 1 diabetes, sickle‑cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart diseases, Eswatini is preparing to implement the World Health Organization (WHO)’s PEN‑Plus model.

03/24/2026

Exciting to see PEN-Plus highlighted in this article by Nature Africa and Sharon Shaatra Muzaki Namono. As medical innovations emerge for such as disease, strong health systems will be vital for equitably reaching patients. “These therapies require healthcare infrastructure, trained personnel, and long-term follow-up,” says Dr. Gene Bukhman, our co-chair, a cardiologist and global health researcher at Harvard Medical School. “Without strengthening district hospitals and referral networks, most patients will not benefit from these advances.”

Gene-editing breakthroughs are bringing curative therapies closer to reality. The challenge now is ensuring African health systems are ready to deliver them.