The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa has announced that Tanzania will host the third International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA 2026).
The high-level convention is scheduled to take place from June 23 to 25, 2026, in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam. Hosted by the Government of Tanzania, the event is co-hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the NCDI Poverty Network, with the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust serving as strategic partners.
This year’s conference will run under the theme: “Advancing progress toward SDG targets for NCDs in Africa by 2030: Reflections on PEN-Plus implementation; Progress, Challenges and the Future.”
ICPPA 2026 aims to serve as a critical platform for generating innovative ideas to move the African continent closer to achieving universal access to severe non-communicable disease (NCD) services by 2030.
A major focus of the conference will be ensuring equitable availability of quality essentials, medicines, diagnostics, and health technologies for the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of chronic, severe NCDs utilizing the PEN-Plus strategy.
The conference seeks to secure the political will needed to accelerate the PEN-Plus strategy as a core component of national Universal Health Coverage (UHC) priorities.
by gathering African Heads of State and Government,
The three-day summit will feature High-Level Political and Strategic Dialogues featuring active engagement from Heads of State.
Advancement of innovative financing mechanisms to fund regional health initiatives,Strategic dialogues on sustainable resource allocation across developing economies and
Official issuance of high-level guidance and recommendations by attending national leaders are part of the lineups.
The ICPPA 2026 will also feature Key Side Events with focus on beyond the core policy dialogues, ICPPA 2026 will feature a series of specialized side events addressing some of the most critical health challenges plaguing the continent.
Stakeholders will Formulate and highlight country-level actions to accelerate the implementation of WHO diabetes guidelines.
Also taking center stage is Women’s Cancer Services. Showcasing the implementation of integrated cervical and breast cancer projects, while sharing best practices from successful pilot Countries.
Other highlights are Mental Health Scaling and strategies to strengthen mental health services and successfully integrate them directly into standard NCD care networks.
Participants will Review the latest clinical advances, structural challenges, and control strategies tailored for Sickle Cell Disease for African nations.
Deliberations will also focus on Childhood-Onset Heart Disease working alongside the UNICEF NCDs Programme to build a definitive case for a 2027 World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution and Primary Care Integration of ear, eye, and oral health into the existing WHO PEN and PEN-Plus frameworks.
The Summit is expected to culminate in a unified regional roadmap, aligning local healthcare structures with global NCD targets to safeguard millions of vulnerable lives across Africa.
