Civil society organizations (CSOs) can make a vital contribution to public health and health systems, but harnessing their potential is complex in a Europe where government-CSO relations vary so profoundly. This study is intended to outline some of the challenges and assist policy-makers in furthering their understanding of the part CSOs can play in tandem and alongside government. To this end it analyses existing evidence and draws on a set of seven thematic chapters and six mini case studies. They examine experiences from Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Turkey and the European Union and make use of a single assessment framework to understand the diverse contexts in which CSOs operate.

The evidence shows that CSOs are ubiquitous, varied and (typically) beneficial. The topics covered in this study reflect such diversity of aims and means: anti-tobacco advocacy, food banks, refugee health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and social partnership. CSOs make a substantial contribution to public health and health systems with regards to policy development, service delivery and governance. This includes evidence provision, advocacy, mobilization, consensus building, provision of medical services and of services related to the social determinants of health, standard setting, self-regulation and fostering social partnership.

Engaging successfully with CSOs means governments making use of adequate tools and creating contexts conducive to collaboration. This book guides policy-makers working with CSOs and helps avoid some potential pitfalls. The editors outline a practical framework for such collaboration which suggests identifying key CSOs in a given area; clarifying why there should be engagement with civil society; being realistic as to what CSOs can or will achieve; and an understanding of how CSOs can be helped to deliver.

Contents

• List of contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Part I
  • Chapter 1. What is civil society and what can it do for health?
    Scott L. Greer, Matthias Wismar, and Monika Kosinska.
    • 1.1. Civil society, working with society and Health 2020
    • 1.2. What is civil society?
    • 1.3. What does civil society do for health?
    • 1.4. Benefits of civil society engagement
    • 1.5. The limits of civil society engagement
    • 1.6. How does civil society engage with health?
    • 1.7. Summing up the background to the study on civil society and health
    • References
  • Chapter 2. What civil society does in and for health: a framework
    Scott L. Greer, Monika Kosinska, and Matthias Wismar.
    • 2.1. The analytical matrix: types of organization and action
    • 2.2. Types of organization
    • 2.3. Types of civil society activity
    • 2.4. Summing up the presentation of the matrix
    • References
  • Chapter 3. Working with civil society for health: policy conclusions
    Scott L. Greer and Matthias Wismar.
    • 3.1. Civil society is ubiquitous, diverse, and beneficial
    • 3.2. Regulating civil society for health
    • 3.3. Instruments for working with civil society for health
    • 3.4. A practical framework for health policy-makers engaging with civil society
    • 3.5. Conclusion
    • References
• Part II
  • Chapter 4. The Russian Anti-Tobacco Advocacy Coalition (ATACa)
    Kirill Danishevskiy and Martin McKee.
    • References
  • Chapter 5. Engaging with civil society: the successful example of the European Medicines Agency
    Ilaria Passarani.
    • 5.1. Introduction
    • 5.2. CSO involvement in the regulatory process
    • 5.3. Research methods
    • 5.4. EMA and CSOs
    • 5.5. Factors contributing to a successful collaboration
    • 5.6. Legitimacy, transparency and trust: the added value of CSO involvement
    • 5.7. Conclusions
    • References
  • Chapter 6. Civil society, resilience, and participation in times of austerity: the case of Cyprus
    Maria Joachim.
    • 6.1. Cyprus: society and the social welfare system
    • 6.2. Labour market and austerity: changes for society and health
    • 6.3. Organizing civil society and participation
    • 6.4. The labour market and austerity: civil society and resilience
    • 6.5. The health system and an emerging champion
    • 6.6. Conclusion
    • Acknowledgements
    • References
  • Chapter 7. Syrians under Temporary Protection, health services and NGOs in Turkey: the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants and the Turkish Medical Association
    Saime Ozcurumez and Deniz Yıldırım.
    • 7.1. Introduction
    • 7.2. Governance of international protection in Turkey: the legal and institutional framework for NGOs
    • 7.3. The NGO setting and health services
    • 7.4. Case studies: reaching out to SuTP for health services
    • 7.5. Conclusions
    • Appendix to Chapter 7: The Regulation on Temporary Protection
    • References
  • Chapter 8. Civil society and the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Russian Federation
    Elizabeth J. King.
    • 8.1. The HIV epidemic in Russia
    • 8.2. The role of civil society in the HIV/AIDS response: opportunities and challenges
    • 8.3. The Russian government’s response to HIV and opportunities for engaging with civil society
    • 8.4. Conclusion
    • References
  • Chapter 9. Social partnership, civil society, and health care
    Scott L. Greer and Michelle Falkenbach.
    • 9.1. What is social partnership?
    • 9.2. Social partnership in running health care systems: the case of Austria
    • 9.3. Social partnership in broader health policy
    • 9.4. Conclusions
    • References
  • Chapter 10. The conditions and contributions of ‘Whole of Society’ governance in the Dutch ‘All about Health…’ programme
    Marleen Bekker, Jan Kees Helderman, Maria Jansen, and Dirk Ruwaard.
    • 10.1. Introduction
    • 10.2. State-society relations and public health challenges in the Netherlands
    • 10.3. “All about Health…” 2014–2016 and the role of civil society
    • 10.4. Conclusion: from government to health governance
    • Acknowledgements
    • References

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