The Care Companion Program was recognized by the Ministry of Health as a Best Replicable Practice in Public Health in the Health Systems and Maternal and Newborn Category In 2019-2020, Motivation for Excellence provided invaluable support for the implementation of the Care Companion Program across several medical colleges, including JJ Hospital in Mumbai, BJ Medical College in Pune, as well as institutions in Yavatmal and Nagpur. In 2019-2020, with support from UNICEF, we expanded upon a core model for Maternal and Child Health by developing the Care Companion Program specifically for Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs).

The Care Companion Program won Azim Premji University’s “Stories of Change: 2020-2021 Volume II, Case Studies on Development Action and Impact” YosAid Innovation Foundation’s survey conducted during COVID-19 was mentioned in TheHindu in an article titled “Survey finds shift from COVID-19 fears to income concerns”

In 2021-2022, we implemented the CCP in Devanahalli, across the Bengaluru Rural district of Karnataka, at various levels of care, including Taluka Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals (SDH), Primary Health Centers (PHC), and Community Health Centers (CHC), with the support of Samhita - Collective Good Foundation. In 2021-2022 we collaborated with Rohini-Nilekani-Philanthropies, to create medically accurate, yet simple and engaging training materials for frontline workers from more than 100+ NGOs. This initiative empowered them to effectively support high-need populations during the second wave of COVID-19 in India.

In 2022- 2023 with the support of IDFC Alternatives, we have enhanced the technological product for Remote Engagement Services (RES) and expanded the Care Companion Program in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Punjab, we signed our first five-year agreement with government partners – that sets the longer-term vision and framework for program ownership by the government. It allows us to expand programming to all levels of care across multiple types of facilities and is now our template for new and renewed MOUs with state partners.

The Tuberculosis family caregiver model was named by the Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of five key initiatives to end TB in India, setting the program up for national level scale. YosAid Innovation Foundation was mentioned in two articles regarding our work in Andhra Pradesh: TheHindu in an article titled, “Health Dept., YosAid Innovation Foundation to implement Care Companion Programme in Andhra Pradesh” The New Indian Express in an article titled, “MoU inked to extend support to mom, newborns in AP” In Andhra Pradesh, the government committed nearly 3 crores INR in support of our 2023 implementation efforts (printing and distributing more than 40,000 flip charts to the over 10,000 health and wellness centres implementing the CCP across the state). This is our highest contribution by a state government partner and is a benchmark for other states. In 2023, we partnered with the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation (HBSF) through DASRA to implement these two initiatives. Implementation of the Care Companion Program (CCP) across Maharashtra. Engaging 10,000 Community Health Officers (CHOs) in Andhra Pradesh through our Primary Care Model, for impact at the community level.

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, 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). 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. 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. 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. 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.

The HIV/AIDS Caregiving Support program for CST Division was launched at the end of Q1 2025, with the first phase of training already conducted for the staff at ART centers. Development is now underway for the Targeted Interventions Division, with the objective of designing engaging interventions to contribute to the prevention of new HIV/AIDS infections among High Risk Groups (HRGs) and vulnerable populations (core and bridge population). The HIV/AIDS Caregiving Support program shall be implemented across 23 Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centers, 43 Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) centers, 121 Targeted Intervention (TI) centers, and 7 Link Worker Scheme (LWS) sites. YAIF, in collaboration with the Health Department, Government of Haryana, has been implementing the Care Companion Program (CCP) across the state. The program initially covered 20 health facilities, focusing on empowering patients and caregivers with essential healthcare knowledge. To strengthen the program’s impact, in January 2025, YAIF conducted refresher trainings for staff at existing facilities and onboarded new sub-district hospitals to deliver the Maternal & Newborn Care program. In February 2025, the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) CCP was expanded to all District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, and Community Health Centers.