New Delhi, April 16 -- Twenty African countries increased access to services for severe non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the last four years since adapting the PEN-Plus approach, a new model to decentralise critical services, according to a new report.

The report, tiled Understanding the PEN-Plus approach to care: expanding access to care for severe non-communicable diseases in the WHO African Region, was released by World Health Organization (WHO) Africa with support from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust on April 14, 2025.

The burden of NCDs has surged in the WHO African Region, posing a significant threat to public health.

In 2019 alone, more than 2.8 million NCD-related deaths were recorded in the WHO African...