Stronger Together: Network Celebrates Third Anniversary with Videos from PEN-Plus Heroes

Care providers and advocates from eight PEN-Plus countries—Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—contributed a series of videos to celebrate the NCDI Poverty Network’s third anniversary.

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 Focused on PEN-Plus in Southern Africa During 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.

The Power of Patient Organizers in the Fight for Global Health Justice

“People living with chronic conditions have historically not been considered important decision-makers from a policy perspective,” said Dr. Apoorva Gomber, coauthor of an opinion piece recently published in PLOS Global Public Health. “Our article highlights the absurdity of policymakers making decisions aimed at benefitting people living with a certain disease without consulting anyone who actually lives with that disease.”

CPHIA Side Event to Focus on PEN-Plus in Southern Africa

The Southern Africa Regional Hub of the NCDI Poverty Network will host a side event during the third annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa. The side event—“PEN-Plus Partnership: An NCDI Poverty Network Initiative in partnership with WHO-Afro”—will take place on 29 November in Lusaka, Zambia, with an option for livestreaming.

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.

The BMJ Highlights Opportunity to Save Lives Through PEN-Plus

An opinion article published this month in The BMJ spotlights the PEN-Plus strategy as a new hope for improving chronic disease care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Undaunted Spirit Despite Dual Diagnoses

As an infant, Tawonashe Mugura was always in and out of the hospital. Sometimes, he had difficulty breathing; other times, he was jaundiced. His body pains were so severe he cried constantly. The provincial hospital in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, treated his symptoms, but he still lacked a diagnosis—until an aunt provided a clue from his family history.

PEN-Plus Partnership High-Level Advisory Group Convenes in New York City

The High-Level Advisory Group of the PEN-Plus Partnership met in New York City on 19 September to discuss the progress and future of PEN-Plus.

Network Celebrates Launch of Voices for PEN-Plus

“We know what is best for us,” said Anu Gomanju, a person living with rheumatic heart disease in Nepal. “That’s why our needs and voices need to be prioritized.”

Team PEN-Plus Runs in Support

“I run in support of the millions of people worldwide who live with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Apoorva Gomber, associate advocacy director of the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “I’ve run a marathon before and fundraised in the past. Still, this event was special because of the person who motivated my fundraising.”

Kenya Ministry of Health Celebrates PEN-Plus Launch

The Kenya Ministry of Health, the county government of Vihiga, and NCD Alliance Kenya hosted a celebration of the launch of PEN-Plus in Kenya on June 19.

WHO/AFRO Receives $9 Million from Helmsley Charitable Trust for PEN-Plus Expansion

Efforts to expand PEN-Plus across sub-Saharan Africa just received a major boost, as the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced a $9 million grant to the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa to expand care for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases.

WHO Recognizes Center’s Leadership in Integration Science

The Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity has been named a WHO Collaborating Centre in recognition of its work in designing integrated care delivery systems for people living with severe noncommunicable diseases in extreme poverty.

Network Co-Chairs Receive World Heart Federation Award in Geneva

The World Heart Federation has presented its Outstanding Contribution to Cardiovascular Health Award to Drs. Gene Bukhman and Ana Mocumbi, co-chairs of the NCDI Poverty Network. The presentation took place in May at the World Heart Awards ceremony in Geneva.

High-Level Advisory Group Visit to Mozambique Highlights Need for PEN-Plus Clinics

The stark realities of living with severe noncommunicable diseases in extreme poverty became clear to members of the High-Level Advisory Group of the PEN-Plus Partnership when they convened in Mozambique in March to discuss strategies for supporting initiation and scale-up of PEN-Plus in resource-poor countries.

New Lancet Commentary Highlights Feasibility of Decentralizing Care for Severe, Chronic NCDs

A commentary published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology in early May showcases the power of PEN-Plus and the PEN-Plus Partnership to bring lifesaving care for severe, chronic NCDs to first-level hospitals in poor, rural areas of lower-income countries.

Apoorva Gomber Delivers Impassioned Plea at United Nations Hearing

“Where a child lives should not determine whether a child lives,” declared Dr. Apoorva Gomber, associate advocacy director for the NCDI Poverty Network. “And yet children with type 1 diabetes in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa often die within a year of diagnosis. This reality is morally unconscionable.” Dr. Gomber delivered those statements at the Multi-Stakeholder Hearing on Universal Health Coverage, held on May 9 in the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

What Women Want: Study in Rwanda Highlights Women’s Priority Health Concerns

Access to care for back pain, food insecurity, and abnormal vaginal bleeding. Overcoming the barriers to care posed by the high costs of transportation to clinic and missing work. Care delivered in a way that respects both dignity and privacy. Those are some of the top health care priorities identified by women in rural Rwanda in a study published recently in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Q&A: Center for Integration Science Aims to Break the Impasse on Global Health Equity

Type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart disease. In the United States, if people with any of these diseases walk through a hospital’s doors, they can get treated. Their treatment is typically swift and, by and large, effective. Yet, in low-income nations, these conditions can be a death sentence. Gene Bukhman, executive director of the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity, talks about how the center works bridge this gap by bringing health coverage to those living in extreme poverty.

NCDI Poverty Network News