Support the WHO/AFRO Resolution to Adopt a Regional PEN-Plus Strategy to Address Severe NCDs

Member states represented at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee meeting for the African Region in Togo from 22 to 28 August 2022 will review provisional WHO/AFRO resolution (AFR/RC72/4) and vote to adopt the draft PEN-Plus strategy to address severe NCDs at first-level referral health facilities in the African region.

Draft resolution (AFR/RC72/4) addresses severe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at first-level referral health facilities by calling on governments to begin roll out of PEN-Plus in 70% of Member States.

 Severe NCDs cause 800,000 deaths every year among the world’s poorest children and young adults, and 70 percent of these deaths are avoidable. By decentralizing care for severe, chronic NCDs like type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart disease to district hospitals in rural and peri-urban areas, PEN-Plus makes lifesaving care accessible and affordable to the world’s most vulnerable. Since its successful implementation on the continent in Rwanda, Malawi, and Liberia, PEN-Plus is proven to be a cost-effective strategy for delivering integrated chronic care for severe NCDs at first-level referral health facilities.

Adopting this resolution would increase ten-fold by 2030 the number of patients who are receiving lifesaving treatment for severe NCDs and greatly reduce the burden of death and avoidable suffering among the world’s poorest children and young adults.

Network offers guidelines and tools for country-level advocacy to support PEN-Plus resolution

You can support this agenda item and promote PEN-Plus by any of the means outlined below:

If you will be meeting with your Ministry of Health or country delegation prior to the meetings in Togo:

• Request that your country’s delegation come out in strong and vocal support of the resolution and draft regional strategy for PEN-Plus

• Review and adapt the PEN-Plus RC72 talking points and advocacy messages in preparation for your engagement with your delegation

• If you have the opportunity, request time with your WHO country office to brief the NCD team on the PEN-Plus strategy and plans for scale-up in your country

 If you will be preparing an advocacy statement to present ahead of Togo or preparing social media or other communications during the RC72 meetings:

• Utilize the social media toolkit to promote PEN-Plus leading up to and during RC72

• Review, use, or adapt our PEN-Plus RC72 talking points and advocacy messaging for social media and communications that would be most relevant to your audiences

• Share the PEN-Plus 2-Pager & videos and narratives from people living with severe NCDs to show the impact of ensuring access to high-quality care for severe NCDs

 If you want to stay engaged on PEN-Plus after the RC72 meetings in Togo:

• Stay tuned for an invitation for the PEN-Plus Partnership launch event on September 15 during the United Nations General Assembly (event will be available to participate in virtually)

• Continue to highlight key talking points and advocacy messages about PEN-Plus as you approach local and global NCD advocacy and policy opportunities

• Join the NCDI Poverty Network and PEN-Plus Partnership and stay tuned for more to come on future PEN-Plus Partnership campaign efforts