News and Stories
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.
PEN-Plus in Animation
Although the central concept behind PEN-Plus is relatively simple, it can be challenging to explain the model simply. Fortunately, the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa recently shared an updated version of its animated explainer video on PEN-Plus.
Webinar to Explore the Impact of PEN-Plus on the Care of Children with NCDs
Dr. Neil Gupta, a pediatrician and the senior director of policy at the NCDI Poverty Network, will join a panel of healthcare providers in an upcoming webinar that explores how PEN-Plus affects the care of children living with severe NCDs. The International Pediatric Association is hosting the webinar on March 25.
‘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.
Mozambique Co-Secretariat Awarded a European Commission Grant to Assess PEN-Plus Implementation
An international partnership that includes the NCDI Poverty Network and its Mozambique co-secretariat, housed at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, received a 4-million-euro award from the European Commission to assess and support the implementation of PEN-Plus in Mozambique.
Dr. Ana Mocumbi Touts Integration at Global Diabetes Event
As a panelist during a recent international diabetes conference in Copenhagen. Dr. Ana Mocumbi, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network, highlighted the power of integration in helping to achieve global health equity.
Health Officials from Francophone Countries See PEN-Plus Firsthand
A “game-changing” study tour of a PEN-Plus clinic in Sierra Leone introduced Ministry of Health officials from six other Francophone nations to the role integration can play in providing quality care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Crises Averted: The Story of Amza Musa
Eight-year-old Amza Musa receives free treatment for his sickle cell disease at the PEN-Plus clinic at Koidu Government Hospital in eastern Sierra Leone.
Network Publishes Portuguese Edition of PEN-Plus Clinical Handbook
The NCDI Poverty Network recently published a Portuguese edition of PEN-Plus Clinical Tools and Programmatic Standards, a reference both for planning PEN-Plus programs and for assessing and refining existing PEN-Plus clinics. The team has already published English and French editions of the handbook.
Research Team to Devote the Upcoming Year to Facility Assessments and Patient Studies
The research team at the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity has focused many of its most recent studies on the diverse aspects of PEN-Plus implementation and impact in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
NCDI Poverty Network to Co-Sponsor Panel with Scottish Government at Global NCDA Forum
The NCDI Poverty Network will have a busy schedule at the 2025 Global NCD Alliance Forum, including co-hosting a panel event with the Scottish Government during the February convention in Rwanda.
Network Joins UNICEF in Publishing Report on Childhood Noncommunicable Diseases
The NCDI Poverty Network—through one of its co-secretariats, the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital—has joined UNICEF in publishing a report on the burden on noncommunicable diseases on children, adolescents, and young adults in South Asia.
Overcoming Diabetes Stigma Through Community Education
In a new video, Lucy Johnbosco, a member of the NCDI Poverty Network’s Steering Committee from Tanzania, offers her perspective of what it takes to change perceptions of type 1 diabetes in places where many people have limited understanding of the condition.
Training the Warrior Trainers
Two NCDI Poverty Network physicians lent their expertise during a recent diabetes training workshop that the Sonia Nabeta Foundation hosted in Uganda.
Network Publishes French Edition of Clinical Handbook on PEN-Plus
The NCDI Poverty Network has published a French edition of PEN-Plus Clinical Tools and Programmatic Standards, a document that defines the diagnostic, treatment, and patient support services that compose PEN-Plus. Several francophone countries have already initiated PEN-Plus.
Youth Camps Bring Support Beyond Clinical Care
Camps that bring together young people living with a severe noncommunicable disease are showing that the benefits of integrated care can extend far beyond clinical settings. The first such camps—held this year in Rwanda and Zimbabwe—hosted young people with type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and childhood heart disease.
“Community Is Crucial”
In recognition of World Diabetes Day, educator and advocate Edith Mukantwari shares her personal story of living with type 1 diabetes in Uganda, the lessons she’s learned, and the importance of a supportive community.
Sickle Cell Warrior Presents on the Lifesaving Power of Blood
During the East Africa Blood Disorders Leadership Forum, held in Nairobi in late October, Eunice Owino, a Voices for PEN-Plus advocate, spoke about her experiences living with sickle cell disease.
Programs Team Visits Kenya
Members of the NCDI Poverty Network’s Programs Team recently visited the PEN-Plus site in Vihiga County in western Kenya.
Zimbabwe’s PEN-Plus Program Makes Strides
A recent visit to Zimbabwe by members of the NCDI Poverty Network’s Programs Team yielded encouraging updates on the country’s PEN-Plus program.