A group of nine children advocating why it is important to #BeatNCDs at ICPPA2024

A cross-section of participants at the opening ceremony

A cross-section of participants at the ICPPA 2

A guest speaker delivering a presentation 1

A guest speaker delivering a presentation 2

A guest speaker delivering a presentation 3

A moderator at the plenary moderating a session

Dr Benido Impouma, Director UCN Cluster WHO

Discussion during a side event

Director UCN with WHO representative

Cultural troupe performers and drummers at the ICPPA

Cultural troupe dancers

An oral presenter making an oral

A type 1 diabetes advocate contributing during the panel discussion

A speaker at the plenary

A poster presenter explaning his work at 2

A poster presenter explaning his work at 1

Facilatator at the cancer side event

Gene Bukhman and Prof JM Dangou

Health break during the WRs roundtable meeting

Hon Ummy A. Mwalimu

ICPPA 2024 gathered over 400 NCD stakeholders all poised to fight severe chronic diseases in Africa

Prof Maimouna Mbaye, diabetes expert

Some participants at the WRs

Speaker at the sickle cell disease side event

UHP Director, Dr Onyango

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Nurse Euna Museva, (R) conducts a blood pressure checkup on a patient, Agnes Mangenge, 46, at a homestead in Masvingo Zimbabwe. Agnes was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Liver Failure in 2011. “I experienced difficulty breathing, che

Nurse Euna Museva, (R) conducts a blood pressure checkup on a patient, Agnes Mangenge, 46, at a homestead in Masvingo Zimbabwe. Agnes was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Liver Failure in 2011. “I experienced difficulty breathing, chest pains, and swelling which prevented me from bathing. This alerted me that something was wrong. -Agnes Mangenge Mangenge is one of the patients receiving treatment under the Package of Essential Non-Communicable Diseases (PEN-Plus) program by SolidarMED. “One of the pills I was prescribed was Spironolactone which was difficult to get and expensive to buy, my husband and I would fail to sustain the family”-Agnes “It was like a dream at first like I’m sleeping, that this program only exists to help people like me, It was such a relief”. Our lives have become better, I wish God to intervene and make sure that this program extends”.

Nurse Lillian Phillie (left) explains to Umu Barrie (right) about dietary and lifestyle changes at the PIH supported NCD clinic at Koidu Government Hospital, Sierra Leone on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024. Umu is a school teacher in Koidu living with Type 1 D

Nurse Lillian Phillie (left) explains to Umu Barrie (right) about dietary and lifestyle changes at the PIH supported NCD clinic at Koidu Government Hospital, Sierra Leone on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024. Umu is a school teacher in Koidu living with Type 1 Diabetes. Before her diagnosis Umu was feeling constantly fatigued and suffering from insomnia. She believed she must have been suffering from malaria or typhoid so was taking medications but not seeing any improvement in her condition. The situation for Umu changed rapidly when she collapsed unexpectedly on the way to class at Njala University. Her friends rushed her to the hospital and she was taken immediately into the emergency department. By this time Umu’s condition was serious and she had lost consciousness. “I was admitted in the hospital for one week while they tried to work out what was wrong with me. They ran so many different tests to try and find the problem – HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, typhoid – until finally they discovered I was suffering from Type 1 diabetes,” explains Umu. Umu was given medication and discharged to the regular ward for three days of observations. On the day of discharge she was taken to the NCD clinic which is where they were able to explain in more detail about the condition and how to manage it at home. Umu was given a glucometer and an insulin pen so that her condition could be monitored and treated at home. “I said to them ‘what am I going to do with this pen?’ and they told me this is the pen I will use to treat the diabetes. They showed me how to use the pen and also talked about the different foods I should eat, or not eat, to keep the condition under control. I wasn’t too confident using the pen so for the first week I continued coming to the clinic every morning and afternoon to get their assistance. After that time I was able to stay at home and administer the medicine myself.” Through the Pen PLUS strategy diabetes patients like Umu are given g

Patients wait at the entrance to the PIH supported NCD Clinic at Koidu Government Hospital, Sierra Leone on Thursday, April 4th, 2024.

Patients wait at the entrance to the PIH supported NCD Clinic at Koidu Government Hospital, Sierra Leone on Thursday, April 4th, 2024. The NCD clinic is supported by Partners In Health (PIH) and is part of the WHO led Pen-PLUS strategy allowing the clinic to provide care and treatment to patients with chronic and severe Noncommunicable Diseases including Sickle Cell Disease, Diabetes Type 1, Chronic Heart Conditions and Chronic Liver Diseases.

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Akuyo Regina, a nursing officer addresses patients inside the reception area at the PEN-Plus NCD clinic at Atutur General Hospital, Kumi, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Tuesday is the designated clinic day at the facility dedicated to sickle cell patients. According to staff at the facility, over 80 sickle cell patients are attended to on clinic days. On average, ten new or prospective patients also register at the facility. Photo by Badru Katumba/NOOR/WHO

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