News and Features
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.
“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
Eunice Owino, a Voices for PEN-Plus advocate, spoke about her lived experience with sickle cell disease during the East Africa Blood Disorders Leadership Forum, held in Nairobi in late October.
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.
“Nothing For Us, Without Us”
The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes meeting in October shined a spotlight on patient advocates as key stakeholders in developing guidelines for type 1 diabetes care globally.
Salimatu Sesay Follows Her Heart
For years, Sesay’s headaches, fever, and pain had been misdiagnosed as malaria, the flu, or a simple cold. It wasn’t until she accessed echocardiographic services at a newly opened PEN-Plus clinic that she was able to receive her diagnosis.
Photo Gallery: Circle of Life
In Springboard for Action, a PEN-Plus celebration held in September on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, leaders from the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa, UNICEF, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare all expressed their commitment to PEN-Plus. The event also featured a performance by the Broadway cast of Disney’s The Lion King.
Springboard for Action
The PEN-Plus Partnership Strategic Plan (2025–2028) had its official launch at Springboard for Action, an event celebrating progress toward global access to care for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases. The NCDI Poverty Network hosted the event in New York City in September on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly.
CIDRZ Hosts Diabetes Boot Camp in Zambia
In August, CIDRZ held a four-day boot camp for young people living with type 1 diabetes in Zambia. The camp combined entertainment and sports activities with education on self-management of the condition.
Photo Gallery: The UNICEF ROSA Workshop
In early June, delegations from all eight countries in UNICEF ROSA—the Regional Office for South Asia—convened in Kathmandu for a three-day workshop on severe childhood-onset noncommunicable diseases.
Challenging Assumptions for Low-Income Countries
A recently published study of people living with type 1 diabetes in two rural clinics in Malawi found a high level of acceptability and satisfaction among those using continuous glucose monitoring, suggesting that the technology is feasible in low-income settings.
Building for the Future
The PEN-Plus clinic in eastern Uganda began as a gathering under a tree and has blossomed into a standalone structure with consultation and treatment rooms, a training center, and a pharmacy.
Back in Play
For several years, the local health center had dismissed Fatmata Fofanah’s symptoms as the common cold. Yet those symptoms continued to worsen. “We noticed her heart was beating fast and she was short of breath,” said her mother, Mariama. “Even a few minutes of play would make her heart race.”
PEN-Plus: A Holistic Approach to Healthcare
“It is inconceivable that a 20-year-old man would weigh only 55 pounds,” said Bright Mailosi, a specialist in noncommunicable diseases. “So much could have been done to intervene when he was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Although I wish PEN-Plus had arrived in Karonga years earlier, I’m excited that we’ve changed the narrative of how complex NCDs are managed in rural areas.”
Uganda Ministry of Health Celebrates PEN-Plus Launch
The Uganda Ministry of Health, the local government of the Kumi District, and the Uganda Initiative for Integrated Management of Noncommunicable Diseases hosted a celebration of the launch of PEN-Plus in Uganda on 23 November.
Experts Showcased PEN-Plus in Southern Africa at the International Conference on Public Health in Africa
The NCDI Poverty Network and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) hosted a side event, “PEN-Plus Partnership: An NCDI Poverty Network Initiative in Partnership with WHO/AFRO,” on 29 November at the 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa, held in Lusaka, Zambia.
CPHIA Side Event to Focus on PEN-Plus in Southern Africa
The Southern Africa Regional Hub of the NCDI Poverty Network and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) will co-host a side event during the Third Annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), which will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, Zambia, on 27–30 November.
Ethiopia Plans for PEN-Plus Scale-Up
PEN-Plus partners and stakeholders met in Addis Ababa on October 19 to discuss Ethiopia’s national scaleup of PEN-Plus. This scaleup will expand the accessibility and availability of quality noncommunicable disease care at the country’s primary hospital level.
Network Team Aligns with the Ministry of Health and PEN-Plus Partners in Nepal
A team of NCDI Poverty Network technical experts recently traveled to Nepal to align with partners following the Ministry of Health’s decision to expand PEN-Plus to four more district hospitals. The Network group spent the week collaborating with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the Kathmandu Institute of Children Health (KIOCH) to understand how the success of PEN-Plus initiation in Nepal can be replicated nationally.
João Mindo: A PEN-Plus Success Story
For three years, João Mindo had difficulty walking, eating, and even breathing. It wasn’t until a PEN-Plus clinic opened in rural Mozambique that he received his diagnosis: rheumatic heart disease. Following mitral valve repair surgery in Maputo, the 14-year-old now receives care close to home.