WHO/AFRO Regional NCD Meeting Includes PEN-Plus

Following the adoption of the PEN-Plus strategy to address severe NCDs at first-level referral health facilities by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO), PEN-Plus and the NCDI Poverty Network were agenda items at the Regional Meeting of WHO staff responsible for the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Participants met in Saly, Senegal, between 18-20 October 2022.

The meeting included a presentation on PEN-Plus as a strategy to decentralize integrated chronic care services for severe NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic heart disease to first-level hospitals in poor rural and peri-urban areas. In addition, Center for Integration Science Managing Director and NCDI Poverty Network West Africa Regional Lead Dr. Emmanuel Mensah presented an overview of the NCDI Poverty Network’s activities, highlighting the Network’s support for initiation and national scale-up of PEN-Plus as two of its four strategic initiatives.

The meeting was focused on orienting WHO teams focused on NCDs to global, regional, and national strategic approaches to strengthen treatment and management of NCDs. Participating NCD staff from WHO country, regional, and sub-regional offices shared progress on the implementation of regional NCD frameworks and strategies and identified regional and national priorities.