Co-creating healthcare

In May 2023 the WHO launched a framework to engage people with non-communicable diseases in co-creating healthcare.1 The aim is to guide and support member states in engaging people with non-communicable diseases, including those with mental health and neurological conditions, in creating all aspects of healthcare, from policies to services. The framework is the fourth and last report of a series that started in 2021 by defining and justifying the motto “nothing for us, without us.”23 This set the expectation that nothing about people living with a non-communicable condition would be done without their involvement. All the reports have relied on people with lived experience bringing their views in informal consultations, reporting their experiences of health policies and care, and making comments and recommendations on drafts before publication.

The framework defines meaningful engagement as “the respectful, dignified and equitable inclusion of individuals with lived experience in a range of processes and activities within an enabling environment where power is transferred to …