Voices of NCDI Poverty Fellows Plan Advocacy Projects and Participate in Network Steering Committee

Four advocates living with NCDIs in Nepal, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya were selected as Voices of NCDI Poverty fellows in June. The Voices of NCDI Poverty Fellowship provides fellows with mentorship, training in building successful advocacy campaigns, financial compensation, and the opportunity to take a voting role in the governance of the NCDI Poverty Network. The NCDI Poverty Network benefits from hearing the insights and personal experiences of those living with severe, chronic NCDIs in low-income countries.

Making their voices heard – The four Voices fellows produced a joint video message during the NCD Alliance’s Week for Action on NCDs

Over the summer, the 2021-2022 cohort of Voices fellows participated in a series of two-hour, bi-weekly workshop training sessions that focus on capacity building and developing individual advocacy projects. The fellows also heard presentations from PIH and the NCDI Poverty Network, attended NCDI-related webinars and conferences, and participated in the third NCDI Poverty Network Steering Committee Meeting on 22 September.

As part of their initial training sessions, the Voices fellows explored Marshall’s Ganz’s Public Narrative leadership-development practice and identified local NCDI issues of interest for their individual projects. During the exercise, the fellows discovered that they have had similar experiences across rheumatic heart disease, sickle cell disease, type 1 diabetes, and childhood cancer, including shared physical and mental health challenges, a lack of access to health services, shortfalls in health literacy, and stigma surrounding NCDIs. As they have worked together to define key messages to present to the global community, they have also discussed potential opportunities to influence global and regional policy and to support their peers living with NCDIs.   

The Voices fellows’ individual advocacy projects focus on topics including improving health literacy, reducing stigma surrounding NCDIs, and advocating for accessibility of NCDI drugs and services in remote areas as well as improved quality of life for people living with NCDIs in their community. The NCDI Poverty Network is developing plans in collaboration with fellows for global and regional advocacy around PEN-Plus, including potentially convening people living with NCDIs for conversation and group advocacy efforts in countries that are implementing PEN-Plus. The NCDI Poverty Network and fellows are arranging to continue to promote PEN-Plus via global webinar series, social media, and presentations to disease-specific communities as well as other stakeholder groups.