Overview

Participatory governance means engaging with the population with the aim of making policies more responsive and implementable. The COVID-19 pandemic has, however, highlighted that much-needed reforms towards true participatory governance of the health system has not been adequately prioritised and resourced. In this article, we explore what is meant by participatory health governance and the key actors involved, before considering two examples of participatory spaces in France and Portugal. We suggest that not one but a variety of participatory spaces should be made available to ensure a broad range of voices get heard, including population groups whose views and experiences are often left behind.