Accelerating multi-stakeholder action on meaningful involvement in India – the Healthy India Alliance underscores the need for coordinated action

The Healthy India Alliance (HIA) (India NCD Alliance) organised the Fifth National Civil Society Consultation on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on 28 February 2022. The theme of the Consultation was, “Emerging lessons from COVID-19 on meaningful involvement of People Living with NCDs”. The Consultation aimed to contextualise the significance of meaningful involvement of People Living with NCDs during the COVID-19 pandemic; provide updates on national, regional and global efforts centered around people with lived experiences and; catalyze a multi-stakeholder Action Agenda for meaningful involvement of People Living with NCDs in India.

More than 80 multi-sectoral stakeholders including people with lived experiences, government representatives, UN partners, public health experts, CSOs and public health researchers, were involved in the rich action-oriented discussions. In addition to the vast experience of the diverse participants, the Consultation was also informed by the recently held WHO Informal Consultation with People Ling with NCDs and Mental Health Conditions in the South-East Asia Region, in which HIA’s efforts around meaningful involvement were prominently in focus.

The Consultation elicited perspectives around community mobilisation and meaningful involvement through community processes, for addressing NCDs, from key stakeholders – CSOs, the government, WHO and UNDP, with a focus on coordinated action and synergistic efforts. A people-centred approach, led by people with lived experiences, was emphasized as an important force, motivating change, mobilizing resources, ensuring accountability and government commitment, for bringing a paradigm shift.

The deliberations also underscored the importance of evidence-based community mobilization. This was highlighted through HIA’s evidence synthesis on the meaningful involvement and community engagement in the health sector and beyond.  The work undertaken by HIA members, Strategic Institute for Public Health Education & Research (SIPHER) and Janaseva Foundation in the states of Punjab and Maharashtra, respectively, provided bottoms-up recommendations informed by People Living with NCDs accessing digital healthcare services during COVID-19.

HIA will synthesize the outcomes of the Consultation to inform its Action Agenda for meaningful involvement of People Living with NCDs in India.