NCD workshop on meaningful engagement of people living with non-communicable diseases in Nepal: first of its kind
The first-of-its-kind workshop on the meaningful engagement of people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), “Nothing for Us, Without Us: Meaningful Engagement of People Living with NCDs,” was recently held in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was initiated by Global ARCH Board Member Anu Gomanju, an active RHD advocate. The workshop took a year to plan and became a reality in November, 2023, with the collaboration and participation of representatives from the Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), people living with NCDs, the WHO Nepal, the Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH), the Nepal NCD Alliance, the Nepal Cancer Survivor’s Society, the Nepal NCD Alliance, and other non-governmental organizations working on NCDs. The one-day workshop brought together people with lived experience and provided them with a platform to share their personal stories of living with NCDs, call for action from policymakers, and discuss key issues facing people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) to develop a roadmap to NCD intervention around the meaningful engagement of PLWNCDs. Seventy-five people from over 20 organizations associated with people living with NCDs were represented at the workshop, which also saw participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal.
