Session 14

Health democracy in action

Amplifying people’s voice in health decision-making

Organised by WHO Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with WHO headquarters

The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare wide cracks in the governance of health systems. For example, the scientific task forces which many countries established or reactivated to advise governments on the COVID-19 response reflect a default mode of governing which is characterized by insufficient transparency and inclusiveness.

Civil society is often left out – a missed opportunity to gauge population needs, build trust in government institutions and enhance adherence to public health measures.

Thus, a more inclusive participatory governance approach is needed through:

• engaging experts across multi-disciplinary fields, not limited to medical and public health experts;
• enabling dialogue with population, communities and civil society to gain understanding of the lived experience and challenges; and
• ensuring a high level of transparency

Come and join us in an interactive debate with representatives from Europe and abroad. Now more than ever, we need a paradigm shift to ensure that population engagement is an integral part of shaping decisions in health.

Organisers