WHO/AFRO Strategy
PEN-Plus - A regional strategy to address severe noncommunicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities
At the 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee Meeting for the African Region, the 47 Member States of the AFRO region voted to adopt the PEN-Plus strategy to address severe noncommunicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities.
Implementation of this strategy will increase the capacity of first-level health facilities in rural and peri-urban areas to diagnose and treat severe, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as sickle cell disease, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatic heart disease. It will also accelerate and strengthen implementation of WHO’s Package of Essential NCD Interventions (PEN) for prevention and management of less severe conditions at primary care level, which is currently being implemented in only 45% of the region’s Member States.
WHO/AFRO has set ambitious goals to have 50% of Member States rolling out PEN-Plus services to district hospitals by the year 2025, 65% by 2028, and 70% by 2030.
The NCDI Poverty Network is collaborating with WHO/AFRO partners and stakeholders to offer technical support as Member States plan to implement PEN-Plus.