Voices from the Margins of Care: A Patient Testimonial Compendium on Noncommunicable Diseases in Asia and Africa 

When a person living with chronic noncommunicable disease (NCD) like hypertension or diabetes skips a month of medicine, the system logs them as lost to follow-up—one more statistic in the seemingly unsolvable last-mile gap in health care delivery. In order to fully understand why people with NCDs fail to remain on treatment, we must factor in the social and commercial determinants of their lives – it might be a full day's wage lost to a hospital queue, a bus that runs only twice a day, a household that cannot spare a mother's time or a wife who depends on her husband for her medicines.  

On October 29, 2026, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) will launch Voices from the Margins of Care: People Living with Noncommunicable Diseases in Asia and Africa, a compendium of patient testimonies from Bangladesh, India and Nigeria via a webinar that puts these realities at the center of the conversation on health policy.  

Why lived experience matters 

NCDs are now the world's leading cause of death, responsible for over 70% of all deaths each year, with low- and middle-income countries bearing the heaviest burden. Epidemiological data is essential, but it cannot capture the long walk to the nearest health centre, the cost of a month's medicines, the stigma a young woman faces when living with a chronic disease, or the financial ruin that can follow a preventable complication. 

The compendium showcases one of GHAI's core strategies: patient advocacy. At GHAI, we believe lived experience is an essential part of the evidence base for effective health advocacy. A compelling story offers insights that data alone cannot. It can show decision-makers exactly where health systems fall short and how they can respond.  

What the compendium shares 

The compendium brings together eight first-person stories from people living with hypertension, diabetes and related conditions across three countries - from village pharmacies to urban clinics and remote mountain villages. Each story ends with a clear look at what the health system could do differently, and what GHAI and its partners are already doing about it. 

About the launch webinar 

The one-hour virtual launch will feature: 

• Patient testimonials from India, Nigeria and Bangladesh. 
• An introduction to the compendium and how the stories were gathered. 
• A panel discussion with civil society, government and academic partners on the realities of engaging patients and documenting their experiences. 
• A panel discussion with health experts on why patient voices matter and how they can be used to advocate for stronger health systems. 
• A live question-and-answer session. 

Who should attend 

Government decision-makers, development partners, civil society organizations, health professionals, NCD associations, community advocates and anyone committed to health systems that work for people who are too often left unseen and unheard. 

The full agenda and speaker line-up will be announced soon.