Champion communities: Achieving social justice through health in West Bank and Gaza

By creating partnerships for change among healthcare providers, citizens, and community-based organizations (CBOs), USAID is mobilizing grass-roots health sector reform in West Bank and Gaza. Chronic conflict, geographic fragmentation and isolation, and the historical absence of a state has resulted in a disconnect between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the local communities it serves. The lack of civic engagement in national health policy development has resulted in unmet community health needs, low public confidence in the national health system, and increased demand for costly referrals outside of the MoH health system. To mobilize civic participation in public health, the $86 million USAID-funded Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project introduced the “Champion Community” model. Champion communities in the West Bank are improving access to services through planning and policy making in healthcare governance and delivery. Diverse community groups throughout the West Bank (local village councils, religious leaders, schools, CBOs, NGOs, local businesses, etc) and local MoH clinics are together establishing community-clinic boards in marginalized areas to identify needs, engage underrepresented voices, mobilize resources, promote health status, and influence national health policies. In a region where democracy is a challenge, empowering communities to advocate for government health sector reform improves transparency, accountability, and democratic processes in health governance. Empowering community members and health teams in the West Bank to prioritize health needs and identify solutions within their specific socio-economic backgrounds strengthens the local health system to support wider health sector reform.