Globally, the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise and disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite clinical, technological and digital advances in health systems, these remain underutilised because of limited meaningful involvement of people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) and the community at-large. Drawing on successful meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and tuberculosis, for prevention and management of both conditions, HRIDAY and the Healthy India Alliance/India NCD Alliance have played a crucial role in mobilising and meaningfully involving PLWNCDs, facilitating capacity building initiatives and shaping policy action through the India Advocacy Agenda of PLWNCDs. Over the past decade, global movements, including the NCD Alliance’s Our Views, Our Voices and the WHO Framework for Meaningful Engagement of PLWNCDs and Mental Health and Neurological Conditions, have augmented efforts for institutionalising meaningful involvement. India has emerged as one of the few countries incorporating meaningful involvement into its National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs. This movement has expanded regionally and globally, informing health policies across South-East Asia and fostering global recognition in key policy platforms like the Group of Twenty and the Fourth UN High Level Meeting (UNHLM) on NCDs and Mental Health, held during the UN General Assembly in September 2025. This practice paper also highlights lessons learnt, such as, community-led strategies must be prioritised and health systems must be reoriented to be more empathetic and people-centric. Integrating meaningful involvement of PLWNCDs into policy and practice is now a global priority for advancing equitable, people-centred health systems. Meaningful engagement warrants organised and guided channelisation of lived experience leadership. Civil society organisations are important drivers acting as a bridge between lived experience communities, health systems and policy makers.
Arora et al. (Fri,) studied this question.