Overview

Meaningful social participation requires bringing all participants on an equal footing in terms of their skills and abilities to freely interact in the dialogue space, and develop a shared culture of trust, responsiveness, and people-centredness. Building and sustaining government capacities is crucial for engaging with communities in constructive participatory mechanisms in health. Governments require technical, recognition, and communication skills for social participation, as exemplified by Ecuador, France and the United Kingdom. The journey to embed meaningful social participation in health governance requires continuous learning, adaptation, and resource allocation, with practice and perseverance being vital for effective government engagement.