Social Participation for Health (SPH), also known as Community Action for Health (CAH), involves people, communities and civil society organizations in decision-making processes across different levels of the health system and policy cycle. Rooted in the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration, SPH is aimed at empowering marginalized populations to articulate their health needs and advocate for their rights. As the world considers progressing with the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond, SPH is seen as particularly critical to ensure governance is inclusive, reforms are both responsive and sustainable, and that we move towards a more just and inclusive global society.
The 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) held in Geneva this year acknowledged the role of social participation in helping ground health systems on fundamentals of mutual respect and trust to make them more responsive, equitable and resilient. An important milestone, “Social participation for universal health coverage, health and well-being”, a resolution targeted at tackling health inequities and the erosion of trust in health systems co-proposed by Slovenia and Thailand, was approved for adoption by the Member States at the Assembly. Following from this, the Government of Thailand has sought to advance and coalesce civil society and state actor commitments to this resolution through their National Health Assembly (NHA) platform in November 2024. The agenda of this meeting will include a 2-year workplan on collaborative work for social participation, and “Open Space for Social Participation”, which will be another opportunity for participants to meet and exchange ideas and experiences on participatory governance, social issues and health.
Building on the upcoming NHA in Thailand, as well as the theme of UHC Day 2024, the George Institute for Global Health, India, is organising a webinar. In this webinar, Ms. M.K. Rafeekha Mannengal, Distrcit Panchayat President, Malappuram District, Kerala, and Mr. Suresh Dhandapani, SOCHARA, Tamil Nadu, will share their experiences from the “Open Space,” and on mobilising resources to advance social participation for health. We will also hear the perspective of colleagues from HENNET, Kenya, members of the SPHERE consortium on social participation for health. They have been focused in particular on financing for UHC and thinking about what reforms have been put in place and how they correspond to the needs and demands of communities.