PS Oluga Launches Kenya’s 2024 PEN-Plus Plan at Inaugural National NCD Conference
Nairobi, Kenya - - The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Ouma Oluga, launched the Kenya PEN-Plus National Operational Plan 2024 during the opening of the 1st National Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Conference at the Argyle Hotel in Nairobi. The conference is organised by the Ministry of Health through the Division of Cancer and Non-Communicable Diseases.
The new Plan seeks to strengthen specialised care for severe NCDs such as sickle cell disease, type 1 diabetes, and complex cardiovascular conditions, with a particular focus on children and young adults. It aims to extend services beyond the current pilot counties to all regions, ensuring that families can access lifesaving care within their communities.
Dr Oluga noted that NCDs continue to place a heavy burden on the country, accounting for 43 percent of deaths and nearly half of hospital admissions. He emphasised that the PEN-Plus Plan represents a critical step in reducing this burden and ensuring equitable access to care, regardless of location or socioeconomic status.
In his remarks opening the conference, the PS underscored the need for stronger prevention and early detection. He called for regular screening, greater community awareness, and improved primary healthcare as essential components of a stronger national response. He highlighted the role of digital health systems in supporting real-time decision-making and stressed the importance of closing gaps between diagnosis and treatment, improving public knowledge of conditions such as hypertension, and securing sustainable financing to support long-term interventions.
Dr Oluga encouraged researchers and innovators to design solutions that align with Kenya’s health system and have a direct impact on patient experiences. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a comprehensive national NCD strategy that strengthens leadership, improves service delivery, enhances surveillance, promotes healthier lifestyles, and relies on collaboration across sectors.
The launch of the PEN-Plus Plan, alongside the opening of the National NCD Conference, marks a major milestone in Kenya’s efforts to prevent and manage NCDs, especially for vulnerable children, young people, and families across the country.