Embedding Social Participation in National Health Planning: Lessons from Countries
25th June 2026
Episode 3 of the Global Webinar Series on Social Participation, hosted by WHO, the Thailand National Health Commission Office, and UHC2030
This webinar will explore how countries are integrating social participation into national health planning processes, with a focus on moving from ad hoc consultation towards more structured and institutionalized approaches that inform policy priorities.
It will feature country experiences, with a deep dive on the experience of Brazil, widely recognized as a global leader in embedding large-scale participatory processes within health governance. These processes engage stakeholders at multiple levels and directly inform national health planning and priority setting. The webinar will also include experiences from Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Slovenia and Vietnam, reflecting a range of institutional contexts across different WHO regions.
Bringing together senior officials from Ministries of Health, as well as leaders and representatives from international organizations and civil society, the discussion will address:
- how participatory processes can be embedded within national health planning cycles;
- what is required to move from consultation to sustained and institutionalized dialogue;
- how countries can adapt these approaches within their own policy and governance contexts.
By convening these experiences, the webinar aims to support peer exchange across countries and contribute to a stronger understanding of how social participation can enhance the relevance, legitimacy and responsiveness of national health planning.
