News and Stories
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.
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 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.
“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.
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.
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.
Nigeria NCDI Poverty Commission Publishes Its Final Report
After several years of hard work, members of the Nigeria NCDI Poverty Commission have published their final Phase 1 report.
Strategic Plan Details Global Targets for 2028
On September 24, the Network officially published the PEN-Plus Partnership Strategic Plan (2025–2028). “It is our commitment, our testimony, and our witness to the collective progress of NCDI Poverty Network partners in delivering healthcare and hope to people in lower-income countries,” said Dr. Gene Bukhman, co-chair of the Network.
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.
Benin Commission Members Publish Their Final Report
The Benin NCDI Poverty Commission has published its final Phase 1 report.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo Publishes Its Final Report
The NCDI Poverty Commission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has published its final Phase 1 report.
Network Publishes Clinical Tools and Programmatic Standards
The Network has published PEN-Plus Clinical Tools and Programmatic Standards, a document aimed at informing clinic planning, budgeting, and operations by providing a crisp definition of PEN-Plus clinical care, including the diagnostic, treatment, and patient support services available.
Workshop Convenes All Eight Countries in UNICEF’s Regional Office for South Asia
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.