English
EspañolWHO Strategic Spotlight - “THE TRANSFORMATIVE GLOBAL SHIFT IN APPROACH: Empowering People with NCDs to become agents of change to Build Forward Better"
Thursday 4 February 2021 at 13:00 CET
About
People living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) are at the heart of a deadly burden which causes 82% of premature deaths in low-and middle-income (LMIC) countries. PLWNCDs, their healthcare providers and the communities they serve have a first-hand knowledge on how NCDs necessitate a lifelong reliance on the health system. These actors can provide insight into the issues and challenges of tackling the NCD epidemic on a daily basis, informing how national and local leaders can move toward strengthening the health system response to NCDs.
The importance of engaging patients, providers and communities is a core pillar for NCD advocacy. These target populations can channel critical input on the design of programmes and services and help drive political processes. As countries are faced with the disruptive forces of COVID-19, a profound and deadly interplay between the pandemic and NCD epidemic has unfolded, requiring countries to double down on efforts to connect with people during a period of social distancing and a weakened trust of health systems. In order to build forward better from the COVID-19 pandemic, a transformative shift is needed to empower people to become agents of change for NCD prevention and management.
This WHO Strategic Spotlight webinar session will provide a virtual platform to discuss and reflect on best practices for empowering PLWNCDs, healthcare providers and communities to be part of the solution in addressing NCDs. Drawing on existing WHO tools and resources and country experiences, participants are invited to discuss what strategic actions are further needed to operationalize meaningful engagement.