International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Civil Society: Essential Player in Promoting Social Determinants of Health Equity Evidence in Policy Formation and Advocacy; Comment on “Civil Society’s Evidence-Generating Role for Health Policy Decisions: A Thematic Analysis of a Healthcare Information for All (HIFA) Community Online Discussion”

Articles in Press

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Connie Musolino
Toby Freeman
Fran Baum
Stretton Health Equity, School of Public Health, College of Health, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Abstract
Civil society’s evidence-generation and advocacy roles are crucial for effective health policy and health equity. In response to Gopinathan et al we call for health policy research to include broader inclusion and examination of social, political, and commercial determinants in its scope. This widening of the theoretical and methodology lens is vital as it inevitably leads to inclusion of a wider range of civil society actors outside the health system whose work can address the underlying causes of health inequities. Building on the authors’ insights into the different types of evidence civil society generates, we provide two case studies on civil society networks who produce evidence and advocacy on determinants of health and health equity: (1) the Australian based Health Equity Learning Lab (Oz) (HELLO); (2) the global People’s Health Movement (PHM). We argue greater attention should be given to the mutually reinforcing role between evidence and advocacy to improve policy decisions.
Keywords
Civil Society
Health Equity
Evidence
Determinants of Health
Health Policy
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 11 November 2026

  • Received Date 22 July 2026
  • Revised Date 04 November 2026
  • Accepted Date 04 November 2026
  • First Published Date 11 November 2026
  • Published Date 11 November 2026