The WHO Package for Essential NCD (PEN) interventions provides policy and technical guidance on a core set of essential interventions for prevention and control of NCDs through a  Primary Health Care approach. The interventions that have been selected are evidence based and affordable even for low resource settings. Eritrea was one of the countries selected to test the package as a pilot project.

The main objective of the WHO PEN is to improve the integrated management of major NCDs at the Primary Health Care level. As part of the Intervention process the WHO Country Office has conducted 4 trainings to the selected health facilities at the central zone.

Following the assessment of the pilot test of the WHO PEN implementation in the six selected health centers in the Central Zone, it was recommended that the package is expanded nationwide. In line to this recommendation, the MOH organized this session of Training of Trainers (TOT) for physicians from all the regions. There were 19 physicians that have attended the TOT workshop that took place during the period August 2014.

The training was conducted using a protocol developed by WHO that was adapted to fit the countries situation and needs. The second round training was conducted to the remaining health workers in the same health facilities, including those health workers from the newly added health centers namely Villagio and Semenawi Asmara. The training was facilitated by 3 local experts/physicians.

Each participant was provided with the protocol as well as Risk estimating chart for use during the day to day management of the major NCDs. In addition, the PPP of the respective presenter was shared among the trainees for further use during the cascade trainings in the respective Zones.