Civil society empowerment in the health sector

Activities supported within the area of civil society in the health sector shall aim at strengthening capacities of patient organizations to reinforce their role as equal partners in the healthcare environment. Organizational structure of patient organizations and activities these organizations perform shall be also improved through the establishment of the Patient Hub proposed as a pre-defined project. Focus on capacity building and cooperation of patient organizations will dominate the agenda of the Patient Hub, but will also be emphasised through the direct support of patient organizations.

To strengthen the position of patient organizations in order they become stronger players in the health care field, following activities will be supported:

• Provision of financial resources in order to strengthen personal capacities of patient organizations;
• Education and training of patient organization staff to increase their knowledge and skills in certain areas such as management, financial issues, negotiation, etc.;
• Development of activities and services of patient organizations towards patients they represent (e.g. creation of helplines, enhancement of counselling activities, etc.);

Awareness raising activities focused on patient rights and responsibilities as well as promotion of information in connection with the development and implementation of policies, strategies and services in the area of user involvement.