Matshidiso Moeti, Ana Mocumbi, Gene Bukhman
Over the past decade, with support from global non-governmental organisations, the ministries of health in Haiti, Liberia, Malawi, and Rwanda have refined an integrated healthcare delivery model called PEN-Plus that aims to alleviate the burden of non-communicable diseases on low income, rural communities by improving the accessibility and quality of care services.
In August 2022, the 47 countries that comprise WHO’s African region unanimously adopted PEN-Plus as the strategy to expand care for severe non-communicable diseases because it offers an efficient method for integrating services while ensuring ownership lies with each country’s health leaders. WHO is now mobilising ministries of health to support the implementation of PEN-Plus in 20 countries over the next three years. WHO is now mobilising ministries of health to support the implementation of PEN-Plus in 20 countries over the next three years. But to save lives, the strategy requires continued support and commitment.