The first meeting of the National Advisory Board was held in India where valuable contributions were exchanged to improve the COHESION-I research project.
Note: COHESION-I India Team during a field visit in Chhattisgarh, India
On March 20, 2024, The George Institute (TGI) India held the inaugural meeting of the Indian National Advisory Board of COHESION-I. Dr. D. Praveen, co-investigator of the COHESION-I Project and Director of Primary Health Care at TGI India, chaired the session. At the meeting, members of the research project team and the National Advisory Board were introduced. This included reviewing the composition and roles of the advisors.
Discussions during the meeting revolved around frameworks employed, study outcomes, and lessons learned from the experience of country partners using the COHESION methodology. Participants engaged in an enriching dialogue where suggestions were made for implementing the activities planned for the next six months. The project team addressed most topics during the meeting and followed up with additional clarifications via email. The next meeting is scheduled for September 2024.
We thank the Indian National Advisory Board members (see the list below) for contributing to the COHESION-I Project.
National Advisory Board members in India
| NAME | AFFILIATION(S) |
| Dr. Gopinath Reddy (Chair) | Former Professor of Political Science, Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) |
| Dr. Lakshmi Lingam | Chair Professor, DY Patil School of Public Health |
| Dr. N. Nakkeeran | Professor, Public Health, School of Global Affairs & Deputy Director, Centre for Research Methods, Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) |
| Dr. Regi George | Managing Trustee, Tribal Health Initiative |
| Ms. Renu Khanna | Trustee SAHAJ, Vadodara |
| Dr. Roopa Shivashankar | Scientist E, Indian Council for Medical Research |
| Dr. Sitanshu Kar | Professor & Head, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research |
| Dr. Usha Raman | Professor, Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad |