Community Platforms for Public Health Interventions

Authors: Melissa Sherry, Abdul Ghaffar, David Bishai

Citation:

Abstract:

The public health cycle supports the sustained success of any of the interventions discussed in the Disease Control Priorities volumes, by (1) offering a typology of the stages of development of community health platforms, as well as a framework for assessing their success; (2) illustrating four stages of development of community health platforms with four case studies (Indonesia, Peru, Uganda, and Haiti); and (3) discussing investment opportunities for policy makers interested in strengthening community health platforms. Without initiatives to help community health platforms flourish, the health gains promised by interventions will cost more and deliver less. Communities will miss opportunities to activate partners and resources that can shift health determinants in schools and workplaces and the commerce, transport, and culture sectors. Political will to make changes in public health law enforcement and regulation and to hold governments accountable remains a precious resource community health platforms can nurture and maintain. With the availability of local data, local forums for sharing data, and local multisectoral stakeholder engagement, the solutions will work better and deliver more.