Location: Kageshwori Manahara Municipality, Kathmandu District, Nepal
Timeline: February – December 2023
Partners: National Health Research Council (NHRC), Provincial Grant, Australia Awards Alumni Seed Grant
1. Objectives of the Project
Main Objective:
To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of community support groups in improving self-management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes and hypertension.
Specific Objectives:
- Assess the acceptability of community-based support groups among patients with diabetes and/or hypertension.
- Promote discussions on healthy lifestyle practices such as dietary management, physical activity, footcare, and medication adherence.
- Encourage peer-to-peer experience sharing on self-management techniques.
- Evaluate the role of community support groups in motivating behavior change for better NCD outcomes.
2. Project Area
The project was implemented in Kageshwori Manahara Municipality, located in Kathmandu district, Nepal.
- Focus Group: Individuals diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension.
- Community Engagement: Four support groups formed, meeting fortnightly over a period of three months.
- Approach: Participatory learning and experience-sharing among patients to foster sustainable self-care practices.
3. Snapshot of Project Activities
| S.N. | Activities |
| 3.1 | Project initiation and collaboration with NHRC, local government, and stakeholders |
| 3.2 | Formation of four community support groups (patients with diabetes and/or hypertension) |
| 3.3 | Regular group meetings every two weeks (over 3 months) |
| 3.4 | Facilitated discussions on lifestyle management: diet, exercise, footcare, medication adherence |
| 3.5 | Peer sharing of personal experiences and self-management strategies |
| 3.6 | Baseline data collection on participants’ health behaviors and knowledge |
| 3.7 | Endline data collection to assess changes in self-management practices |
| 3.8 | Analysis of group acceptability, information exchange, and motivation for behavior change |
| 3.9 | Documentation and reporting of findings for future policy/program use |
4. Benefits of the Project
Health Benefits
- Improved self-management of diabetes and hypertension.
- Increased awareness of healthy lifestyle practices.
- Encouraged medication adherence and preventive care (e.g., footcare).
Social Benefits
- Peer learning and motivation through shared experiences.
- Strengthened community support networks for chronic disease management.
- Enhanced trust and cooperation between patients and local health systems.
Research/Policy Benefits
- Evidence on feasibility of support groups as a community-based NCD management approach.
- Insights for scaling similar interventions in other municipalities of Nepal.
5. Collaborators
- National Health Research Council (NHRC), Nepal
- Provincial Government (Grant Support)
- Australia Awards Alumni Seed Grant
- Kageshwori Manahara Municipality, Kathmandu
6. Project Leader
Dr. Sujata Sapkota
Project Lead & Co-founder, Apara Innovations
- Public health researcher with expertise in non-communicable disease management.
- Led the feasibility study in collaboration with NHRC and local government.
- Strong focus on community engagement, health promotion, and evidence-based interventions.