The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) welcomed Dr. Gene Bukhman from Havard University in the United States who was in Zambia on a 2 day familiarization visit.

Dr. Gene Bukhman who is the Director of Program in Global Noncommunicable Disease (NCDs) and Social Change at Harvard Medical School was in the country to familiarize himself with the details of the PEN plus project which is being implemented in Zambia by CIDRZ.

And MOH Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Professor Luckson Kasonka on behalf of the Zambian Government through the Ministry of Health expressed gratitude for the support being received through this project. Professor Kasonka assured the team of its continued support and was happy that Professor Gene was in the country to familiarize himself with what is happening on the ground.

The PEN‐Plus Project seeks to increase coverage of high‐quality care for less common, but more severe conditions such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), rheumatic and congenital heart disease (RHD/CHD), and Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by decentralizing services normally available only at tertiary referral centres in many Low Middle Income Countries (LMICs). It builds on the World Health Organization’s Package of Essential NCD Interventions (WHO PEN) for common NCDs.

The Project provides mid‐level providers such as nurses and clinical officers with the shared competencies needed to deliver integrated care for groups of related conditions, including psychosocial support and palliative care. PEN‐Plus has already been implemented in some LMICs at a cost of around US$0.2 per capita in initial capital investment, and US$0.3 per capita in annual operating expenses.

CIDRZ is working in close collaboration with MOH and the existing NCDI Commission to implement the project which is being funded by Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.