MWECS has been implementing the PEN-Plus project initiative since 2022 with support from the NCDI Poverty Network and leadership and direction of Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. This initiative, which involves collaboration with the Ministry of Health, regional health bureaus, professional societies, experts, and other stakeholders, has made significant progress and is currently active in two primary hospitals: Addis Zemen Primary Hospital in the Amhara region and Muketuri Primary Hospital in Oromia.

The primary goal of the PEN-Plus initiative is to improve health outcomes for individuals with severe chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) particularly for peri-rural and rural populations by providing comprehensive, integrated care at the primary hospital level. This includes ensuring access to specialized treatment, psychosocial and peer support, and health education. The initiative also focuses on building healthcare provider capacity and strengthening referral systems.

Gene Bukhman, MD, PhD, a Co-Chair of the NCDI Poverty Network and Executive Director of the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University, and Dr. Emily Wroe, Senior Director of Programs at the NCDI Poverty Network, recently visited Ethiopia. They held a productive meeting with the Mathiwos Wondu-YeEthiopia Cancer Society (MWECS) on December 4-5, 2024, to discuss the progress of the PEN-Plus project and future steps. Both officials, together with representatives from several African and Asian countries were here in Addis to attend Global NCDI Poverty Network meeting being held in Addis Ababa from December 2 to 6,2024.

During the meeting, the MWECS program team shared the significant achievements of the ongoing initiative. As part of this initiation project, MWECS has renovated and constructed PEN-Plus clinics in both Muketuri and Addis Zemen Hospitals, which are well-furnished and designed to provide quality care to people living with chronic NCDs. Essential point-of-care equipment, such as a tablet-based echocardiography machine (Kosmos), a HgA1c analyzer, a coagulation analyzer, spirometers, and glucometers for home-based glucose monitoring, has been procured  and made accessible. Additionally, essential medicines and diagnostic supplies are continually provided to enhance the availability.

Through capacity-building training for mid-level clinicians, over 400 echocardiography tests have been conducted, a service that was previously available only at specialized centers. The project has also provided quality care to 600 children and young people living with severe chronic NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, and other cardiac conditions. As a result, the project has been able to retain patients in chronic care, prevent complications, reduce disease progression, and improve outcomes and quality of life.

With this project strong psychosocial support service  provided to more than 50 children with type 1 diabetes and rheumatic heart disease who have been able to continue their education with the help of scholastic materials. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners, MWECS is also preparing a National Operational Plan/NOP/ for the nationwide expansion and scale-up of the initiative from 2025 to 2030.

Through capacity-building training for mid-level clinicians, over 400 echocardiography tests have been conducted, a service that was previously available only at specialized centers. The project has also provided quality care to 600 children and young people living with severe chronic NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, and other cardiac conditions. As a result, the project has been able to retain patients in chronic care, prevent complications, reduce disease progression, and improve outcomes and quality of life.

With this project strong psychosocial support service  provided to more than 50 children with type 1 diabetes and rheumatic heart disease who have been able to continue their education with the help of scholastic materials. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners, MWECS is also preparing a National Operational Plan/NOP/ for the nationwide expansion and scale-up of the initiative from 2025 to 2030.

Pursuing this, three groups consisting of participants from the NCDI Poverty Network and MWECS engaged in discussions on national operational plan and scale-up, monitoring and evaluation, training and mentorship, and psychosocial and peer support. During these sessions, the MWECS team provided a comprehensive update on their progress and presented a detailed overview of the project’s implementation efforts, based on the discussion points and beyond. The NCDI Poverty Network team expressed admiration for the remarkable achievements being made by MWECS, highlighting valuable lessons learned regarding patient care and support mechanisms. In the reflection session, key points were also emphasized on the National Operational Plan and Scaling up strategies. Moreover, important feedback was gathered from all participants to further enrich project implementation.

In conclusion, Dr. Emily Wroe expressed her heartfelt gratitude to MWECS for its remarkable work and significant achievements in improving access to and the quality of healthcare services in resource-limited rural areas. She encouraged the team to continue the hard work and also assured on the continued partnership and support

Dr. Gene Bukhman expressed his pleasure with the progress being made and congratulated everyone involved in the project. He reaffirmed his commitment to providing ongoing support to expand the program and reach more children and young people suffering from severe NCDs in rural areas. He emphasized on the challenges encountered during the implementation of the project and highlighted his assurance to overcoming these hurdles and to continue supporting this important initiative.

Finally, Mr. Wondu Bekele, Chief Executive Director of MWECS, expressed his deep gratitude to Dr. Gene, Dr. Emily, and all teams of NCDI poverty network for their dedication, passion, and generous support in addressing the needs of individuals living with chronic NCDs in Ethiopia. Moreover, he candidly stated, “while we may not excel in all areas, we are highly competent in most of our work and are determined to strive for excellence.”