The NIHR Latin America Centre (NIHR LatAm Centre) has completed the implementation of the Peer Support and Volunteering Protocol, a community-based research study conducted in Latin America to assess the feasibility of participation-based support strategies for people living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
This protocol forms part of the Centre’s commitment to generating context-sensitive scientific evidence that contributes to strengthening health systems through community-based, culturally relevant, and person-centred approaches. In contexts where NCDs represent a growing burden and access to specialised services remains limited, social support and community connection emerge as key elements for wellbeing and quality of life.
One Protocol, Two Complementary Interventions
The Peer Support and Volunteering Protocol was designed as a qualitative feasibility study integrating two distinct but closely related community interventions:
Peer Support, which brings together individuals who share a similar health condition and community context, with the aim of exchanging experiences, knowledge, and coping strategies, while strengthening self-management and emotional support.
Community Volunteering, which involves community members who voluntarily accompany people living with NCDs in social, cultural, and recreational activities, promoting inclusion, social interaction, and the creation of meaningful social bonds.
Both interventions were implemented under principles of participation, respect, care, and accompaniment, recognising that shared experience and community solidarity can meaningfully complement formal healthcare services.
A Community-Based and Participatory Approach
A central pillar of this protocol was its community-based approach. The activities were not conceived as clinical spaces, but rather as meaningful encounters within community settings, where participants could interact, share experiences, and build relationships beyond their health condition.
This perspective acknowledges that many responses to health and wellbeing challenges are found not only within healthcare systems, but also in social connection, mutual support, and active community participation.
Regional Implementation Across Latin America
The Peer Support and Volunteering Protocol was implemented in the three countries that form the NIHR Latin America Centre: Colombia, Bolivia, and Guatemala, adapting to the sociocultural and territorial characteristics of each context. This regional implementation enabled the exploration of the feasibility of these interventions across diverse settings, as well as the identification of shared lessons and local specificities.
From design to implementation, the protocol was conducted under rigorous ethical principles and through a qualitative methodology that included interviews, focus groups, and feedback sessions with participants, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the community-based experience.
The Case of Guatem
ala: Experiences from the Territory
In Guatemala, the protocol was implemented in two regions: Quetzaltenango and Alta Verapaz, in accordance with the approved study design. In Quetzaltenango, the Peer Support intervention was evaluated, while in Alta Verapaz, the Volunteering intervention was
implemented.
In these territories, people living with NCDs, peer facilitators, and community volunteers participated voluntarily in regular meetings over several months.
Activities were defined collaboratively by the groups, prioritising cultural, recreational, and socially meaningful community spaces.
Throughout the process, experiences related to social interaction, accompaniment, relationship-building, and strengthened community connection were documented.
These experiences generated valuable insights into the implementation of peer support and volunteering in diverse contexts, as well as into the factors that facilitate or hinder their development in both urban and rural communities.
Contributions and Key Learnings
The completion of the Peer Support and Volunteering Protocol represents an important milestone for the NIHR LatAm Centre in generating
Next Steps
Evidence on low-cost, community-based interventions with high potential impact. The lessons learned provide valuable input for future research and for the design of strategies that integrate community participation into the response to NCDs.
Beyond academic outcomes, this protocol reaffirms the importance of strengthening community connection and recognising the active role of individuals and communities in shaping their own wellbeing.
Following the completion of the implementation phase, the NIHR Latin America Centre team is currently analysing the data collected to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and lessons emerging from this community-based research process.
Once the analysis is completed, the findings will be shared through future publications. We invite visitors to our website to explore the Centre’s other protocols and research initiatives, including the Multifamily Protocol, which also forms part of the NIHR LatAm Centre’s efforts to strengthen community-based approaches to health in Latin America.