SUPPORT-SYSTEMS (23) Q1 What does civil society participation in health policy mean? Why is it important? (11)

14 May, 2022

Dear all,

This is a novel question based on a certain argument: Civil Society actors’ should use evidence to contribute to inclusive and accountable decision-making for Universal Health Coverage. But, the real issue of the research is know-how. This approach needs to recontextualize the question and then decontextualize it based on:

1. Outter setting where the organization is located: Demographic and epidemiological features of the population, as its political, economic, and social context.

2. Organisation and governance. What kind of Organization are we talking about? Which are its mission and vision?

3. Individuals (target population). The patient's understanding and cultural beliefs shape the construction of their identity and definition of the ways they embody, live, and cope with the disease. In HICs emerging forms of sociality are linked to ideologies of individualism, autonomy, and anti-authoritarianism. Within this concept, cancer survivorship becomes understood as personal responsibility, and the individual is expected to embrace the life-changing experience of cancer and the possibilities of transformation it engenders as a basis for activism and advocacy.

Instead, in LMICs, society believes that the proper source of support should be the family, dependence by patients on the state, and social security to take care of their medical needs. Besides, guilt and isolation prevent them from organizing collectively effectively.

4. Intervention Characteristics: Will we use Quantity and/or Quality data Evidence-based for the decision-making process.? Will we use local evidence? What if this local evidence doesn’t exist?

I hope my perspective will be useful for the debate.

María Eugenia.

HIFA profile: Maria Eugenia Aponte-Rueda is a Breast Surgeon and Ph.D. working at the Venezuelan Breast Cancer Research and Education Foundation. She is a member of the HIFA working group on SUPPORT-SYSTEMS - How can decision-making processes for health systems strengthening and universal health coverage be made more inclusive, responsive and accountable?

https://www.hifa.org/support/members/maria-0

https://www.hifa.org/projects/new-support-systems-how-can-decision-makin...

Email: fuveicam AT gmail.com