Positive features exist within civil society…

The positive options we have explored here signal potentials for civil society to:

• contribute to public health interventions
• build accountability in public policy
• promote equity within health systems
• monitor quality and responsiveness within health services
• counter malpractice within health services.

The civil actions which promise to be successful:

• are often self-initiated, motivated by a problem or opportunity to resolve a problem;
• are strongly linked to perceived benefits;
• build trust and cooperation;
• use and give value to community experience and to a community voice;
• involve civic groups and their members before agendas are finalized;
• involve effective bridging organizations between services and communities;
• nurture local organization, networking, resources and capacities within grassroots organizations;
• progressively institutionalize successful processes;
• obtain effective, timely and sustained technical assistance and services.