UPLIFT Implementation Manual for Community-Based Groups
The UPLIFT Study
The UPLIFT Study (2023–2025) was a multi-country research initiative designed to strengthen the evidence and operational guidance for Community-Based Groups (CBGs) for people affected by skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin-NTDs). Building on a scoping review, consultations with people affected, NGOs and researchers, and implementation experience across Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India, UPLIFT developed and tested a harmonised, operational and adaptable CBG model integrating self-care, psychosocial support, group governance and empowerment, social participation and advocacy. The model was implemented across different skin-NTDs, communities and health-system contexts, generating evidence and practical learning that informed the development of the two complementary resources below.
UPLIFT was developed through a partnership involving Effect Hope, Lepra, the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), with implementation led by LEPRA Society in India, Lepra in Bangladesh and GLRA in Ethiopia. The study was primarily funded by the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP).
Implementation Manual for Community-Based Groups
The Implementation Manual provides operational guidance for organisations seeking to establish, strengthen or adapt CBGs for people affected by skin-NTDs and other chronic disabling conditions with similar long-term support needs. It describes a 4-stage developmental pathway, progressing from group foundations and governance, through capacity development and increasing autonomy, to wider community participation, and advocacy.
Each stage includes minimum milestones that guide progression according to group readiness rather than fixed timelines, together with key, recommended and context-dependent actions. The manual integrates core UPLIFT principles including self-care as an entry point, psychosocial wellbeing, peer-led empowerment, progressive transfer of responsibility, inclusion and equity, and linkages with health systems. It also incorporates considerations relevant to longer-term sustainability while recognising that full financial sustainability extends beyond the developmental stages operationalised by the model.
You can access the resource here: Implementation Manual for Community-Based Groups