Held in Geneva on June 12, 2026, the in-person workshop brought together representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the COHESION-I Project to review research progress across partner institutions, reflect on key lessons, and engage in dialogue on strengthening primary healthcare systems.
Organized by the NCD Policy Lab, the event convened leading voices from the WHO and COHESION-I Project team members to exchange experiences on strengthening primary healthcare in low- and middle-income countries.
The academic engagement explored the research activities across the COHESION-I Project partner institutions, including The George Institute for Global Health (TGI) in India, The Department of Medicine Research Unit of the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, the B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal, and CRONICAS, Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases in Peru.
The event encouraged critical dialogue on ongoing and completed projects, highlighting their impact, research outcomes, and scientific publications.
Diverse topics in discussion included lessons from implementing NCD interventions at the primary healthcare level, strategies to strengthen health systems, and opportunities to translate research into policy and practice. Future directions and next steps for the COHESION-I Project were also explored.
The workshop concluded with an open Q&A session, encouraging attendees to exchange perspectives and reflect on community-based approaches to strengthening primary healthcare.
The session was informative and empowering, fostering a collaborative environment where participants share experiences, and enhance their engagement with ongoing NCD research efforts.
We sincerely thank WHO for this valuable dialogue and for the opportunity to strengthen collaboration and share lessons across institutions. We also extend our gratitude to the NCD Policy Lab for organizing this exchange.