Major Milestones for the Three East African Countries Implementing PEN-Plus
The PEN-Plus workshop in Kenya included presentations on the national NCD burden, a briefing on PEN-Plus, and an overview of the PEN-Plus implementation plan and deliverables.
Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia are on track to open their first PEN-Plus clinics and training sites in the coming months.
In Eldoret, Kenya, PEN-Plus implementing partner NCD Alliance Kenya (NCDAK) conducted a two-day PEN-Plus Project Joint Planning and Launching Workshop 30 June - 1 July 2022, with NCD focal persons from Vihiga and Isiolo counties, representatives from selected health facilities, and NCDAK staff, members, and Board Chair. The workshop included presentations on the national NCD burden, a briefing on PEN-Plus, and an overview of the PEN-Plus implementation plan and deliverables.
MWECS staff and East Africa NCDI Poverty Network Advisor Wubaye Dagnaw visit Zemen Primary Hospital, which will host a PEN-Plus Clinic.
In the Amhara region of Ethiopia, PEN-Plus implementing partner Mathiwos Wondu - YeEthiopia Cancer Society (MWECS) hosted a workshop to mark the official launch of PEN-Plus in the Amhara and Oromia regions on 6 July 2022. The workshop was attended by Ministry of Health representatives, MWECS staff and Board Chair, Addis Zemen Primary Hospital staff and CEO, representatives of health centers in the Amhara and Oromia regions, and academic partners. The event included a presentation on the Ethiopian NCD burden and strategic plan from the NCD team at the Ministry of Health, an overview of the PEN-Plus concept from the NCDI Poverty Network Secretariat, and a briefing on the Ethiopian PEN-Plus implementation plans and deliverables by the MWECS Program Director.
In Kampala City, Uganda, PEN-Plus implementing partner Uganda Initiative for Integrated Management of NCDs (UINCD) organized a workshop on 11 July 2022 to celebrate the national launch of PEN-Plus. The event was attended by representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO Regional Office for Africa, UNICEF, selected health facilities, as well as UINCD staff and board members. Presentations from UINCD, the Ministry of Health NCD focal person, and the NCDI Poverty Secretariat were followed by a Q&A sessions and general discussion.
Congratulations to Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda for the great strides these countries have taken to address their national NCD burdens.