2.2. Strengthening civil society capacity for advocacy and action 

Engaging local organizations to support efforts on the social determinants of health in Tolosa, Philippines:  SIKAP Inc., a non-governmental organization, was involved in supporting efforts around the social determinants of health in Tolosa. They collaborated with the municipality and 15 barangays (districts) to help develop community breakthrough plans aimed at addressing noncommunicable disease risks and the social determinants of health, providing assistance in planning, implementation and monitoring. Ongoing efforts will focus on integrating activities related to the social determinants of health into community health plans, including partnerships with the Department of Education for the Tolosa Healthy Schools initiative.

Engaging champions for Health Equity in Latin America and the Caribbean: In collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Household Workers, PAHO has supported initiatives to strengthen their organization and workers’ fundamental rights in a region marked by gender inequalities. A methodological workshop in 2022, “Research through Life Stories”, led to the production of case stories and advocacy videos featuring workers from Colombia, Chile, El Salvador and Costa Rica. This work also laid the foundation for a participatory survey on working conditions, employment and health, with domestic workers actively involved in its development.

Collaboratively proposing a guide for building competencies for action on the social determinants of health equity: In partnership between WHO and the International Development Law Organization(IDLO), a guide is being developed to strengthen social mobilization on strategies to address the social determinants of health equity at global, regional and national levels. The guide will support civil society organizations in meaningfully engaging with and advocating for laws, policies and services that address the social determinants of health equity, and advance human rights across the social determinants of health, through equity-focused strategies. It will also help integrate social mobilization more systematically into initiatives, and promote citizens’ empowerment, participation and ownership of strategies, ultimately improving their sustainability. 

Advocating for legal and policy change for noncommunicable disease prevention through the Global RECAP Programme: The Global Regulatory and Fiscal Capacity Building Programme (Global RECAP) helps countries pursue their national noncommunicable disease prevention goals by supporting healthier food environments and settings in which people can be more active through stronger laws, policies and taxes. Civil society has a key role in building support, engaging communities and ensuring policies are transparent, effective and people-centred. Under Global RECAP, IDLO supports local civil society organizations in Africa and South Asia to create enabling environments for policy and fiscal reforms. Global RECAP is supported by WHO, IDLO and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the European Union.