In preparation for the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025, CLAS organized a virtual forum on July 24th, to raise awareness about the importance of the significant participation of people with lived experience and make a call to action.

The forum was attended by approximately 50 people and had a main panel followed by discussion groups. The panel included:

• Vivian Leal from Costa Rica Saludable: Testimony from an individual with lived experience
• Juan Núñez from México Salud-hable: The experience and the importance of strengthening coalitions and organising civil society
• Mariana Rodríguez de la Cerda from PAHO: The importance of involving individuals with lived experience from her institution’s perspective.

After the panel, there were group discussions and to conclude, there was participation from Lorena Allemandi from NCDA and Lesly Ramirez from Guatemala, who made a call to action on behalf of the group.