NGOs as Health Care Providers: Its Contribution to Crisis Management and Safeguarding Public Health

Book Editors: Prof. Athanassios Vozikis, Symeon Sidiropoulos, Alkinoos Emmanouil-Kalos

Global Health is defined as the field of study, research, and practice that focuses on promoting health and establishing health equity for all people around the world. However, global health should not be limited to health-related challenges that traverse international borders. Rather, in this context, global refers to any health issue that affects a large number of countries or is influenced by transnational causes such as climate change or urbanization. Global health is significantly more complex than most people realize, and it takes more than just development assistance to attain. It is essentially an integrated approach in a global environment that includes action on social factors, social protection, local and national support for large healthcare programs, and global agreements and commitments to handle the obligations and the perspectives of the different players involved. 

NGOs can be effective at any stage of the development of primary health care initiatives and promote improved understanding and positive attitudes about primary health care through various ways. To begin with, NGOs encourage and maintain discussion within and among NGOs, as well as with government officials. In the domains of health care and integrated human development, NGOs can help shape national policy. They can communicate healthcare needs to relevant donor agencies based on their relationships with communities, and they can also interpret primary healthcare plans for them. NGOs are also involved in all stages of the global health research cycle, helping to ensure that the study is relevant and effective, as well as identifying priorities and translating knowledge into action. They play an important role in stewardship (promoting and advocating for relevant global health research), research resource mobilization, knowledge generation, utilization, and management, and capacity building.