NCDI Poverty Network

08/17/2026

The power of PEN-Plus and integrated care for young people living with severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases ( ) goes far beyond the clinics that the Network and our partners support. It's about strengthening health systems, raising awareness, and empowering young people with education and peer support.

That's why it's so heartening to see warriors like Esnart Banda, whom you may remember from our Camp Tuli Bonse stories last year. Esnart returned for a second year, and in this video you can see her introducing herself as a peer educator, teaching warriors about genetics that cause sickle cell disease, and literally dancing out of her shoes. Together, we are truly , with .

Sonia Nabeta Foundation
CIDRZ - the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

08/13/2026

Wonderful to see Camp Tuli Bonse 2026 underway in Chongwe, Zambia! Warriors at the camp receive regular care at PEN-Plus clinics in Zambia, as part of the integrated clinical services for young people living with severe, chronic .

Camp Tuli Bonse began a year ago, showing young warriors that they are not alone, they can manage their health, and they can achieve their dreams.

CIDRZ - the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia
Sonia Nabeta Foundation

08/07/2026

The smiles have lit up Camp Wanwod this week! Together, we have !

PIH Sierra Leone Medici con l'Africa Cuamm Mass General Brigham

SISTERHOOD! The friendships built at Camp WanWod are not defined by where you are from or the condition you live with. They simply see the warrior in each other 💜

cc: Our Partners NCDI Poverty Network & Doctors with Africa CUAMM

08/07/2026

Thank you to the Bukhman Foundation for supporting this camp through Mass General Brigham. It's been an incredible week of health education, empowerment and peer support!

08/04/2026

Monday was Arrival Day at Camp Wanwod! At center in the white shirt is Voices of PEN-Plus member Christine Nabatanzi, a type 1 diabetes advocate and peer educator with the Sonia Nabeta Foundation in Uganda.

60 warriors living with type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease are at the Bo School in Bo, Sierra Leone, for a week of health education, empowerment and peer support. Together, we have !

Doctors with Africa CUAMM
Sonia Nabeta Foundation
PIH Sierra Leone

Camp supported by the Bukhman Foundation through Mass General Brigham.

08/03/2026

Setup and staff orientation is in full swing for Camp Wanwod in Bo, Sierra Leone! In just a couple of hours, 69 young people living with type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease will arrive for a week of health education, peer support and empowerment, with camp activities and fun all week long.

Proud to partner with Sonia Nabeta Foundation, Doctors with Africa CUAMM and PIH Sierra Leone in this powerful integrated camp, through support from the Bukhman Foundation and Mass General Brigham and featuring Music Heals Sierra Leone.

Together, we have .

07/29/2026

NEXT WEEK: Very excited to announce Camp Wanwod in Bo, Sierra Leone! With support from the Bukhman Foundation through Mass General Brigham, and in partnership with the Sonia Nabeta Foundation, Doctors with Africa CUAMM / Medici con l'Africa Cuamm, and PIH Sierra Leone, 60 young people living with type 1 diabetes or sickle cell disease will spend the first week of August together for health education, empowerment, peer support and camp-style fun, including arts, recreation and musical therapy.

Camp participants receive care at PEN-Plus clinics in Kono and Pujehun in southern Sierra Leone. The integrated camp, with warriors living with different conditions, reflects the PEN-Plus model of integrated care for severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases ( ) and has proven a very effective way for young people to share experiences, learn from each other and grow together.

It's why Camp Wanwod is named with a Krio word meaning unity, and why the camp tagline is . Because we are all stronger together.

Follow along for camp updates and images next week and later this summer, as additional integrated camps take place in , and .

07/03/2026

Initial rulings have Dr. Ana Mocumbi and Dr. Marta Patiño Rodriguez as the best pose winners in the now-traditional "jump photo" last week in Tanzania, at the close of , but deliberations are ongoing - there are many contenders!

06/25/2026

Proud to partner with World Health Organization African Region on the new PEN-Plus magazine, shared this week at . PEN-Plus is about more than medicine - advocacy, peer support, and community connections all are key to ensuring health for people with . Read their stories here.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Third International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA 2026). This third convening returns us to the birthplace of this conference series—Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, where the highly successful inaugural conference was held i...

06/24/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined our event tonight in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during ICPPA2026. A wonderful crowd and conversations above the city lights were a great way to gather and unwind after an action-packed day at the conference. Truly inspiring to see so many people in support of expanding care for NCDs and improving child health.