• In March 2024, the National Ministry of Health approved our proposal to continue integrating the CCP training costs into the existing health budget for Madhya Pradesh — the state with our largest reach. This approval expands the scope of our partnership with the government of Madhya Pradesh, paving the way for CCP implementation at local-level health facilities and clinics in the state.
• In April 2024, The Care Companion Programs and the families we support were featured in The New York Times,(https://nyti.ms/3VPQkf8) which vividly captured a universal story of love and compassion through our collaboration with Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bangalore, India.
• In Q2, the National Ministry of Health also approved our proposals to continue integrating the CCP training costs into the health budgets of three additional states — Punjab, Haryana, and Karnataka. This is an important marker of the government’s confidence in our work and their commitment towards owning and institutionalising the CCP.
• YAIF, in collaboration with Punjab State AIDS Control Society (PSACS) under the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), began developing an HIV/AIDS Caregiving Support program across Punjab for the Care, Support, and Treatment (CST) Division and the Targeted Interventions (TI) Division. To ensure the program addresses key challenges, YAIF conducted an extensive needs assessment beginning in June 2024, including user testing, interviews, and shadowing at various HRG hotspots, OST centers, and ART centers across Punjab. Based on these insights, behavior change tools and interventions have been developed to enhance patient-counsellor interactions and reinforce critical health messages for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and High Rise Groups (HRGs).
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• In Q3 2024, we expanded the CCP into two new states — Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The state of Odisha will implement the program across four districts over the next year. This is the first time a government is fully funding the program implementation process! We expect implementation to be challenging given the state’s predominantly indigenous population, which is more marginalized in terms of access to healthcare. In Tamil Nadu, the CCP began being implemented in a private facility in the Chengalpattu district, and we are excited by the potential for full-state implementation in the future.
• In October, YAIF launched the Care Companion Program (CCP) in cardiac care and noncommunicable diseasescardiology at AIIMS Nagpur to improve patient and caregiver education. To address the challenges of large hospital wards, we introduced projector-based sessions for clear and large-scale displays. Guided by a dedicated Nurse Guide, these sessions feature relatable case studies, real-life stories, and engaging characters to simplify complex cardiac care concepts. This innovative approach promotes behavior change and ensures that critical cardiac health information effectively reaches patients and caregivers.
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• In 2024, YAIF began partnering with Ekjut and Noora Health to tackle the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in underserved communities across Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. By integrating the Care Companion Program (CCP) with Ekjut’s Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach, the collaboration enhances the scalability of the model and strengthens stakeholder connections, bridging community insights with structured caregiver training for sustained impact.
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• To shape the integrated model, in 2024 the YAIF team conducted field visits in Jharkhand to observe PLA in action and in Andhra Pradesh to understand CCP’s role in primary care settings. YAIF also visited Chamoli, Uttarakhand, in 2025 to study ASHA training and understand how skills and knowledge are effectively transferred over a five-day period. These visits, in addition to a cross-team in person visit and workshop with Ekjut and Noora Health in January 2025, have been instrumental in designing a model that leverages the strengths of both approaches.
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• YAIF, in collaboration with Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) in Silchar, Assam, is developing the Oncology Care Companion Program to enhance caregiver support in cancer treatment. With a high patient load of 3,000–4,000 cases annually, CCHRC, led by Dr. Ravi Kannan, has been at the forefront of delivering accessible and affordable cancer care. Following nearly a year of needs finding since initial visits in July 2024, including needs analysis and data synthesis, the team is now focused on developing content and finalizing the service model. This phase involves creating structured, research-driven caregiver education materials and refining implementation strategies. A pilot phase at CCHRC in 2025 will test and optimize the model before scaling.
