EMPOWERMENT

What is empowerment in health?

Empowerment in health aims to enable individuals, communities, and organizations to better understand their needs, make informed choices, and take an active role in decisions that affect their health. For Solthis, this approach places people and local stakeholders at the heart of projects so that they can develop their capacities, make their voices heard, and influence the factors that affect their health. It thus helps promote more equitable access to health care and strengthen the role of citizens and service users in health systems.

How does Solthis empower individuals and communities?

Solthis relies on participatory and inclusive approaches that enable those affected to identify their needs, participate in defining solutions, and contribute to their implementation. Empowerment can be achieved, in particular, through skills development, information and access to knowledge, participation in decision-making, the development of the capacity to act collectively, and the recognition of the knowledge and experiences of those involved. This approach is particularly applied when working with patients and service users, community leaders, and civil society organizations.

At what levels does Solthis work to empower people?

Solthis operates at several complementary levels: individual, organizational, and institutional. At the individual level, it strengthens the skills and capacity to act of patients, service users, health professionals, and community leaders. At the organizational level, it supports associations and organizations in developing their skills, operations, and autonomy. At the national and institutional levels, it contributes to dialogue with decision-makers, advocacy, and the development of policies and environments that promote health.

How does empowerment help improve access to health care?

Empowerment enables individuals and communities to better understand their rights and needs, to participate more fully in decisions that affect them, and to take charge of their own health. At the same time, building the capacity of civil society organizations and fostering their participation in dialogue with institutions helps make health systems more responsive to the needs of the population. This approach thus promotes health services that are better tailored to needs, greater citizen participation, and a better consideration of health inequities.