Health experts from across Africa, policymakers, civil society organizations, and partners gathered for the inaugural conference focused on strengthening efforts to address the impact of severe chronic diseases. They emphasized the urgent need for increased recognition of the crisis posed by noncommunicable diseases and the premature deaths they cause.
The International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA), which took place from April 22 to 25, 2024, highlighted the disparities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care. The participants committed to advocating for a greater focus on chronic and severe noncommunicable diseases within existing health systems, as well as extending essential services to the primary health level.
The conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, called on governments to take the lead in public health to ensure adequate and quality services, reduce known risk factors for NCDs, and increase domestic investments in addressing these diseases.
The gathering, dedicated to integrating strategies to alleviate the burden of severe chronic diseases at first-level referral health facilities, underscored the importance of decentralizing care for type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart diseases. This move is crucial to saving millions of lives, including many children and young adults affected by these conditions, over the next decade.
In Africa, healthcare services for severe NCDs are largely concentrated in major urban centers, leaving a significant number of individuals without adequate care and burdened with high financial costs.
Hosted by the Government of Tanzania in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the African region and partners like Helmsley Charitable Trust, the three-day event provided a platform for various stakeholders to expedite political and financial support for the PEN-Plus healthcare delivery model.
Participants discussed strategies to strengthen NCD management within health systems across the continent and explored collaborative opportunities to align PEN-Plus with other regional public health programs.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the urgent need for increased investments in addressing NCDs in the region. She underscored the importance of adequate and sustained resources to strengthen the implementation of the PEN-Plus Regional Strategy and ensure that individuals with chronic and severe NCDs receive the necessary care.
All 47 member states of the WHO African region have endorsed the PEN-Plus model as their official strategy for caring for individuals with severe NCDs. To date, 17 countries have adopted PEN-Plus, with 11 actively implementing the program.
The PEN-Plus strategy builds upon the WHO PEN by extending care for severe NCDs to first-level referral facilities like district hospitals. This expansion has shown significant success in improving patient access to treatment for severe NCDs and enhancing patient outcomes.
Dr. Ana Mocumbi, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network, highlighted how PEN-Plus fills a critical gap in healthcare delivery for severe NCDs, particularly in rural areas. By providing lifesaving care at first-level rural hospitals, the program addresses training, mentorship, and referral pathway challenges in health systems.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Government of Tanzania, WHO Africa, and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, with the NCDI Poverty Network acting as a technical partner.
Dr. Gina Agiostratidou, Program Director for type 1 diabetes at the Helmsley Charitable Trust, emphasized the impact of collaborating with local health leaders to design health systems that prioritize individual needs. The expansion of the PEN-Plus program aims to reach more communities and provide essential care to children with noncommunicable diseases in rural areas.
The consensus among experts, leaders, and partners at the conference is clear: investing in PEN-Plus is a crucial step towards saving and improving lives, reducing healthcare costs, enhancing health system capacities, promoting equity, and contributing to achieving Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals in rural sub-Saharan Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.