Unlocking community capabilities across health systems in low- and middle-income countries: lessons learned from research and reflective practice
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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
The right and responsibility of communities to participate
in health service delivery was enshrined in the 1978
Alma Ata declaration and continues to feature centrally
in health systems debates today. Communities are
a vital part of people-centred health systems and
their engagement is critical to realizing the diverse
health targets prioritised by the Sustainable Development
Goals and the commitments made to Universal
Health Coverage. Community members' intimate
knowledge of local needs and adaptive capacities are essential
in constructively harnessing global transformations
related to epidemiological and demographic transitions,
urbanization, migration, technological innovation and
climate change. Effective community partnerships and
governance processes that underpin community capability
also strengthen local resilience, enabling communities to
better manage shocks, sustain gains, and advocate for
their needs through linkages to authorities and services.
This is particularly important given how power relations
mark broader contexts of resource scarcity and concentration,
struggles related to social liberties and other types of
ongoing conflicts.
Description
Keywords
Community cohesion, Epidemiological, Migration, Demograpic
Citation
George A.S. et al. (2016). Unlocking community capabilities across health systems in low- and middle-income countries: lessons learned from research and reflective practice. BMC Health Services Research, 16 (Suppl 7):631