People Power series: Living experience as evidence – Prachi Kathuria, India

Prachi has been living with asthma and chronic bronchitis for over 20 years, which has led to other respiratory problems. When she was young, there was limited understanding among clinicians and the community which led to delayed diagnosis and challenges in managing her condition. Prachi lives in northern India, where air pollution levels regularly reach a very hazardous 500 on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Over the past few years, this has significantly affected her quality of life, particularly between October and December. During this period, she has to stay indoors using an air purifier, which she is fortunate enough to afford, and she struggles to be outside even to complete daily activities. In 2016, Prachi was also diagnosed with endometriosis, polycystic ovarian disease and multiple fibroids.

In Prachi’s experience of chronic respiratory challenges in India, the lack of understanding by health-care providers over many years not only impacted her diagnosis, but eventually led to an ongoing mistrust of medical systems – even when she developed endometriosis and polycystic ovarian disease.

This article is an excerpt from the publication ‘People power - Perspectives from individuals with lived experience of noncommunicable diseases, mental health conditions and neurological conditions’, which includes six detailed case studies from 12 individuals with lived experience of diverse health conditions.

The case studies were developed using participatory research through focus groups with people with lived experience of NCDs, mental health conditions and neurological conditions.