Institutionalizing social participation to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage and health security

Social participation in decision-making processes is essential for ensuring that health policies are responsive, equitable and effective. As such, it must be a priority reform in accelerating progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) and health security. Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the importance of inclusive and participatory health governance in the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on UHC in 2019, and in the Executive Board resolution to prepare for the second High-level Meeting on UHC in 2023 (EB152/5). But despite these endorsements, political will for implementing social participation remains weak, and all countries could do more to institutionalize and strengthen participation in decision-making for health.