Event summary: Social Participation in Health Financing: Advancing Equity, Trust and Accountability for UHC
16th September 2026
This webinar was the third in a Global Webinar Series on Social Participation in Health, co-hosted by the World Health Organization, Thailand's National Health Commission Office and UHC2030.
The fourth episode of WHO's Global Webinar Series on Social Participation in Health focused on embedding meaningful civil society and community engagement into health financing decisions.
With sharp declines in global development assistance for health, many countries are facing financial shocks with dire implications for their health systems. As countries revisit their health financing strategies, including the mobilisation of domestic revenues, pooling of risks, and purchasing of services, important and difficult trade-offs are inevitable, determining who will benefit and who will be left behind on the path towards universal health coverage. The systematic and meaningful participation of people, communities and civil society in such processes can promote more effective, equitable and responsive policies, fostering accountability, trust and buy-in among the population.
Recent reports from WHO, the World Bank and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health make the case for participatory approaches in health financing policy processes. Engaging communities and civil society – the intended beneficiaries – can enhance efficiency, equity, legitimacy, accountability and trust.
Through technical presentations and interactive multi-stakeholder panels, participants explored key features of meaningful social participation in health financing policy processes, sharing lessons from countries’ experiences.
During the webinar, speakers from Kenya, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, and Japan demonstrated that participation improves policy effectiveness, equity, legitimacy, and durability — but only when intentionally designed, institutionally anchored, and technically supported.
Three overarching takeaways emerged:
- Social participation is a core ingredient of sound health financing reform (not an optional add-on)
- Meaningful participation must be systematically structured and connected to actual decision-making
- Civil society requires dedicated capacity and access to technical information to engage substantively
