The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), has officially opened Zambia’s 5th PEN-Plus Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Clinic today at Chipata District Hospital. This new facility is the latest step in an initiative to combat the growing burden of chronic NCDs across the country.

In a speech read for him by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr Lewis Mwape, Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Mr Paul Thole, said the opening of the PEN-Plus clinic at Chipata District Hospital is in line with the Government’s commitment to bringing health services closer to the family.

He underscored  the need for PEN Plus clinics, pointing to the significant shift in Zambia’s disease burden, which he said was epidemiologically transitioning from infectious diseases to NCDS, thereby creating a dual disease burden.

“From January to June, 2025, Chipata District alone had 3,864 hypertension cases and 429 diabetes cases recorded among the top ten causes of morbidity. 23 deaths were caused by hypertension, while nine deaths were caused by diabetes,” Mr Thole explained.

Mr Thole said opening a specialised NCDs clinic at Chipata District Hospital will help decongest Chipata Central Hospital and serve as a training hub for health personnel in Eastern Province.

He acknowledged the support from collaborating partners, including the Scottish Government , who, through CIDRZ, made the launch of the PEN-Plus Clinic at Chipata District Hospital possible.

And Eastern Province Provincial Health Director, Dr Mathews Ngambi, represented by the Provincial Clinical Care Specialist, Dr Francis Mubanga, said the opening of the PEN-Plus clinic was a clear demonstration of the Ministry of Health’s commitment to policy implementation and overall supervision and technical support.

He pledged that the Ministry would ensure the recently launched PEN Plus National Operational Plan (NOP) would be made available to all facilities in Eastern province to strengthen NCDs treatment and care.

Meanwhile, PEN-Plus Project Principal Investigator Prof. Fastone Goma said the newly-opened PEN-Plus Clinic at Chipata District Hospital will manage severe NCDs, which are ordinarily treated at higher-level hospitals such as Chipata Central, Levy Mwanawasa, or University Teaching Hospital.

Prof Goma said this initiative will ensure that people living with severe NCDs are attended to at a facility closer to them when their condition is still stable, ensuring that they easily transition back to their communities.

He explained that the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the PEN-Plus model as a regional approach to addressing NCDs, which are now overtaking communicable diseases.

“For a health system such as ours, which was overburdened by HIV, TB and malaria, we are now seeing NCDs overtaking those diseases, which were a bigger burden to us. So, we are in this phase of handling a double burden,” said Prof Goma.

He said the newly opened PEN-Plus clinic will attend to all NCDs, including severe hypertension and heart failure, stroke, rheumatic heart disease and rheumatic fever, diabetes, neurological disorders and other mental issues.

Prof Goma said 25 health workers at Chipata District Hospital had undergone training in managing severe NCDs and would continue to be mentored by specialists stationed at Chipata Central Hospital.

And Chipata District Hospital Medical Officer in Charge, Dr Emmanuel Kameya, thanked the Ministry of Health and CIDRZ for bringing the first-ever PEN-Plus clinic in Eastern Province to Chipata District Hospital.

Dr Kameya said he was excited about the launch of the PEN-Plus clinic and looks forward to working with all stakeholders to improve healthcare services in Chipata.

In his vote of thanks, Chipata City Town Clerk Mr Donald Mwanza said Chipata was honoured to launch the first PEN-Plus clinic which will be  be used as a training hub for health personnel in Eastern Province.

In a speech read for him by Chipata District Health Director Dr Lawrence Phiri, the Town Clerk said he was happy that NCDs would now be treated at the district hospital, which would serve people who were travelling long distances to access critical health services.

The opening of the Chipata District Hospital PEN-Plus clinic reflects an evolving health care strategy in Zambia, one focused on ensuring that necessary medicines, technologies, and diagnostics for severe NCDs are readily available at the district level.