NCDI Poverty Network

02/19/2026

An amazing thing about Ashley and young people like her is that so often, young people who receive lifesaving care for a curable condition say they hope to become doctors themselves one day. Because, of course, they know what it means. They know how enormous the impacts are, not only for themselves but for their families and communities. She truly has reclaimed her future, and changed perceptions and stigma while doing so. Thank you to SolidarMed Zimbabwe for sharing this incredible story, and for their incredible work.

02/13/2026

For several years, teenager Yismaw Nigussie would regularly trek through the rugged terrain of South Gondar Zone in northern Ethiopia, followed by a 60-kilometer ride on public transportation, to reach lifesaving medical care for his type 1 .

His declining health forced him to quit school in the fourth grade, in order to work and sell firewood to pay for medical costs.

His life finally changed during a visit to the PEN-Plus program at Addis Zemen Primary Hospital. Representatives from the Mathiwos Wondu Foundation, which administers the hospital's PEN-Plus program with support from the NCDI Poverty Network, provided care that went beyond the clinical. With transportation support, education assistance and more, Yismaw is back in school and managing his diabetes. Read his story:

For several years, without funds for transportation or food, Yismaw Nigussie, a 15-year-old living in rural northern Ethiopia, would risk his health even getting to the clinic that provided treatment for his type 1 diabetes. Then a routine assessment changed the trajectory of his life.

02/11/2026

Community health worker (CHW) Tina Thomas checks a patient’s blood sugar at J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper, Liberia, in November 2021, when a study about diabetes education was underway. Thomas herself was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2017 and received care at J. J. Dossen. She was in critical condition when first admitted, recovered, and now is affectionately known as "Patient No. 1” at the hospital’s NCD clinic. As a CHW, Thomas provides diabetes education at the clinic and in local communities.

(Photo: Jason Amoo / Partners In Health)

In the link, read more about how the recently published study found that self-management education had positive impacts on health for people living with in Harper.

A recently published study found that patient education and peer support helped people living with type 1 diabetes in rural Liberia manage their disease. “Their extra barriers to health,” said Dr. Alma Adler, the Network’s research director, “make it even more critical for patients in low-re...

02/05/2026

From Ghana to Zambia to Canada, peer support was a big topic for noncommunicable disease care in 2025—and the focus on mental and social wellbeing that peer support creates will continue growing in 2026.

“In each of the countries where we work, we’re preparing an integrated training for peer educators in both type 1 and disease, to develop a cohort of peer educators with both conditions who would then have a formal role within PEN-Plus clinics,” said Dr. Colin Pfaff, associate director of programs for the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Young people with severe often face stigma and a lack of understanding about their disease in their communities. Read on to learn how peer support and the PEN-Plus model of integrated care are breaking down social barriers.

With peer support having proved to be a key component of PEN-Plus care, the NCDI Poverty Network is developing an integrated training program for peer educators. “We’ve seen beautiful examples of young people who are unafraid to speak boldly about their condition, to be advocates, to be champion...

02/02/2026

More info on Ethiopia's exciting launch of its national plan for PEN-Plus, which expands local resources and care for children and young people living with severe noncommunicable diseases ( ) such as , and childhood-onset . Ethiopia's plan calls for PEN-Plus clinics in 150 hospitals within five years, potentially enrolling 82,000 patients -- and creating stronger families, communities, and health systems.


Mathiwos Wondu Foundation World Bank Group World Health Organization African Region

The NCDI Poverty Network joined with the Government of Ethiopia, the Mathiwos Wondu Foundation, the World Health Organization, and other partners in a recent ceremony to launch Ethiopia’s PEN-Plus National Operational Plan, marking another major milestone for the growth of PEN-Plus in sub-Saharan ...

01/23/2026

“The PEN-Plus program is a vital strategy designed to empower primary hospitals, ensuring that they meet high standards of care for patients with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases ( ),” Dr. Dereje Duguma, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Health, writes in Ethiopia's National Operational Plan for PEN-Plus.

Today's launch of the national plan was a wonderful event and part of growing momentum for PEN-Plus and integrated care for NCDs. Congratulations and gratitude to Ethiopia's Ministry of Health and partners including the Mathiwos Wondu Foundation, World Health Organization African Region, the World Bank and more.

Ethiopian Press Agency /የኢትዮጵያ ፕሬስ ድርጅት/

12/30/2025

🗓️ As we look ahead into 2026, let's take a moment to look back!

The NCDI Poverty Network launched in December 2020 to expand access to lifesaving treatments for children, adolescents, and adults living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases ( ) in extreme poverty. In its first five years, the Network has transformed from an idea into a vibrant international movement, with 29 partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as advocacy, funding, policy, and technical partners from around the world.

Here are highlights and milestones from our first five years: https://www.ncdipoverty.org/fifth-anniversary-milestones

Above all, thank you for your partnership, dedication, and solidarity. We're excited for what's ahead! 🌟

12/24/2025

12/22/2025

🎉 WE'VE TURNED FIVE! 🎉

The Network’s official launch took place in December 2020, in a Zoom call at the height of the COVID pandemic. That call has since grown into an international movement for health equity and child health, with 29 countries initiating the PEN-Plus model of care for severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease and childhood-onset heart disease.

The Network now supports more than 100 PEN-Plus clinics across sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia and the Caribbean. With our implementing partners, those clinics have cared for more than 30,000 people living with NCDs --- fueling transformative change for individuals, families, communities, and national health systems.

As we celebrate this progress, most of all, we want to thank you -- whether you've been part of the Network since the beginning or are just learning about our shared mission, your support, collaboration and encouragement make this movement possible.

We're proud of how far we've come and excited for what's next. Let's keep moving forward, together.

Helmsley Charitable Trust Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Brigham and Women's Hospital Breakthrough T1D Beyond Type 1 UNICEF USA NCD Alliance The Lancet Partners In Health Harvard Medical School

Five years. Twenty-nine countries. Over a hundred PEN-Plus clinics. More than 14,000 patients. Together, the many collaborators that compose the NCDI Poverty Network deliver hope and healthcare to children, adolescents, and young adults navigating the dual challenges of poverty and severe, chronic n

12/19/2025

One of our favorite highlights from the past year has been this uplifting, R&B-style song that sounds like a radio hit and is uplifting peer groups in -- because care for severe, chronic extends beyond clinical resources. Social support, peer education and community empowerment all are vital, as well. Check out the story and crank up the song -- it'll brighten your day! The lyrics are Portuguese (English translation in the story) but the bop crosses borders!

PORTUGUESE: Esta canção em português é uma alegria R&B que apoia grupos de pares para doenças não transmissíveis em Moçambique. Link e detalhes na história.

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Ivanilson René

The catchy, R&B-style track is providing new support and empowerment for people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases such as type 1 diabetes.

12/18/2025

Congratulations, Evans! This is a wonderful and well-deserved recognition. Proud to witness your work and have you as part of our Voices for PEN-Plus team.

A big shout out to our very own Programs Coordinator Evans M. Malik's for getting recognition during Universal Health coverage day. We always very appreciative for the dedication you put into advocating for Congenital Heart disease and Rheumatic Heart Disease.
We appreciate you.
Keep advocating.
Ruth Ngwaro NCDI Poverty Network NCD AllianceGlobal Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts

11/26/2025

The PEN-Plus movement got a boost at in Montreal, where the integrated model of care for severe noncommunicable diseases ( ) drew attention as a growing, successful strategy for improving child health in low- and middle-income countries.

International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes - ISPAD

The PEN-Plus model of care is not only improving treatment and accessibility for people living with type 1 diabetes, but it’s also placing an emphasis on the disease that had not previously existed in some parts of the world, Dr. Gene Bukhman said the recent International Society for Pediatric and...