WHO Informal Consultation with People Living with Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Conditions

05 Jun 2022 Stroke support

In 2022 the World Health Organization Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (GCM/NCD) has facilitated six regional Informal Consultations.

The World Health Organization GCM/NCD is developing a Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with NCDs and Mental Health Conditions. The purpose of this Framework is to guide the World Health Organization and Member States in meaningful engagement in co-designing policies and programmes.

Between February and May 2022, the World Health Organization GCM/NCD has facilitated six regional Informal Consultations with People Living with Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Conditions. These consultations are aimed at supporting the co-creation and participatory development processes of the Framework and to explore the importance of how meaningful engagement can be further implemented at a regional and national level. The consultations took place over two half day sessions online and were co-faciltated by people with lived experience. The breakout sessions and feedback gave all participants the opportunity to share their experience and insights.

Day One - Exploring key definitions and principles around meaningful engagement of people living with NCDs and mental health conditions

Presentations:

Best practices in meaningful engagement from the region
Human Rights in Meaningful Engagement
Progress made and ambitions for meaningful engagement

Breakout Sessions

Key definitions of Meaningful Engagement
Principles and enablers of meaningful engagement

Day Two - Identify strategies to operationalize meaningful engagement of people living with NCDs and Mental Health Conditions in regional and national contexts.

Presentations:

The Humanistic Burden of Disease
Peer Support and Community Networks for People Living with Mental Health Conditions
Lessons learned from existing meaningful engagement efforts: Living with Asthma and Allergies in Romania

Breakout Sessions:

Equitable representation, enabling and protective environments
Capacity-building, Strategic partnerships, Advocacy

Our International Development Manager, Sarah Belson attended the last in the series of consultations on May 18^th and 19^th for the European Region. ‘It was a privilege to join the consultation for the European Region in May. During the breakout sessions I had the opportunity to connect with people with lived experience of NCDs and mental health conditions and discuss how to enable under represented communities to be part of decision making. We also focused on the information people need to engage with WHO and governments’.

‘We had a really open and honest discussion, agreeing on the need to recognise and harness people’s strengths and interests and the community assets that already exist. In terms of information, we highlighted that this needs to be two way, that information and insights need to be shared about WHO and government engagement opportunities but that these opportunities themselves also need to be informed by lived experience and how people can and want to engage. The importance of long term relationships and the role of NGOs was also highlighted.’

‘It was a pleasure to connect with Phil Collis during the consultation, a tireless NCD advocate based in the UK. Phil is a Patient Advisor for the British Heart Foundation and the European Heart Network. He is also a member of the Stroke Association UK’s Stroke Voices in Research group’.

The Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People with Lived Experience of NCDs and Mental Health Conditions is expected to be published in late 2022.

For more information about the World Health Organization GCM/NCDs visit: https://www.who.int/groups/gcm

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