Latest News and Updates

From October 31st to November 3rd 2019, the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR), South Africa Heart Association (SA Heart), and AfricaPCR held their annual Congress in Johannesburg withDr. Gene Bukhman and Dr. Sheila Klassen representing the NCD Synergies team at Partners In Health and Harvard Medical School.

During this year's UN General Assembly, PIH, HMS, and the Helmsley Charitable Trust hosted a small expert roundtable featuring participants from 16 organizations. The discussion focused on opportunities to build a multi-country initiative around "PEN-Plus" and how to mobilize advocacy and financing for this agenda.

In August 2019, Partners In Health in Malawi, known locally as Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) had the unique opportunity to co-host Camp Tikhoza, a camp for children and young adults living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) throughout the country.

From 29 July to 1 August 2019, PIH and HMS contributed to a WHO AFRO & MOH Rwanda led Regional Consultation in Kigali to review a draft strategy for outpatient care at 1st level hospitals to address severe, chronic NCDs across the African region (PEN-Plus).

On Wed May 22nd 2019, NCD Synergies in collaboration with HMS, Helmsley and Kletjian Foundation, hosted an event during this year's WHA. Over 140 people attended the dialogue that highlighted comprehensive delivery strategies to achieving UHC, ensuring that no one is left behind.

On World Health Worker Week, we are highlighting the APZU NCD team. In recent weeks, the team tested its new strategy for active case-finding for heart failure in Neno District, a predominantly rural district that serves over 170,000 people in Malawi.

From Dec 5-8, 2018 the Program in Global NCDs and Social Change at HMS, with support from NCD Synergies hosted a 4-day NCDI Poverty National Commission Initiator's Workshop in Dubai, UAE. The workshop brought 45 participants and facilitators from 16 countries together to learn, collaborate and further the work of the National NCDI Poverty Commissions.

On World Diabetes Day 2018, the Liberia NCDI Poverty Commission launched their report, and hosted awareness campaigns in Maryland Country. On this occasion, we celebrate our colleagues, peers, and friends who live with, treat, and manage severe conditions like type 1 diabetes across PIH sites.

In Oct 2018, Partners In Health hosted a one-day side meeting “Health Systems and Delivery Strategies to Achieve Universal Health Coverage,” on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan held later in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Declaration of Alma-Ata. The NCD Synergies team joined the larger PIH team, presenting and engaged in meeting content throughout the week.

On Thursday September 27th, Dr. Gene Bukhman and Maia Olsen represented Partners In Health at the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, joining over 350 registered non-governmental stakeholders during the proceedings. PIH prepared a statement but was not selected to speak. Full text of the statement our team intended to give can be found in this post.

On Tuesday September 25th, NCD Synergies in collaboration with HMS and Helmsley, hosted an event during the UN General Assembly. Over 130 people attended the discussion, with representation from the Ministries of Health of Rwanda and Malawi, WHO, the World Bank, and a wide array of global health funding agencies, stakeholders, and peer institutions.

On Aug 28, 2018, Harvard Medical School and Partners In Health co-hosted a side session with the NCD team at WHO AFRO on the integrated management of severe NCDs such as type 1 diabetes and advanced rheumatic heart disease. The event was well attended by Ministers of Health throughout the region, who reiterated strong interest towards increased action on NCDs as a pathway to UHC.

In July, the NCD Synergies Team welcome Dr. Fred Ochieng' as the first Advanced Fellow in Cardiovascular Disease and Global Health Equity. The team then led a three-day Continuing Medical Education Course at Harvard Medical School on Cardiovascular Disease and Global Health Equity.

The NCD Synergies attended the UN Interactive Hearing on the Prevention and Control of NCDs on July 5th, 2018 as part of the formal preparatory process to the UN High Level Meeting on NCDs later this year (Sep 27 2018), providing a statement from the floor with recommendations for the draft political declaration. PIH's intervention underscored the need for a rights-based approach and prioritizing equitable delivery of NCD care inclusive of the world's poorest populations.

From June 11-12 2018, the NCD Synergies team co-hosted a regional dialogue with colleagues from Mozambique Institute of Health Education and Research and Harvard Medical School, to broaden the framework of NCDs and injuries across Southern Africa. The meeting brought over 40 people from 10 countries to Maputo, Mozambique for two days of discussion and regional planning.