Learn More

Our First issue newsletter is out!
Click to download PDF

Second NewsLetter is out

CEBRAP conducted an interview between Vera and Frederico which was a very creative way of promoting COMPLUS. Portuguese Video, please use subtitles as appropriate

Universal Health System​

There are many typologies for a Universal health system, which are often confounding and conflating, namely Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Universal Health care, Universal Access to health care and each of them stem from different political economy epistemologies. A UHS conceived by us is a system which offers comprehensive services based on everyone’s needs by virtue of being human (social justice) without any means-testing thereby catering to the most vulnerable, and irrespective of their ability to pay and will embody equity. UHS provides for greater solidarity, risk pooling and cross subsidisation and promotes social justice in which the rich are made to make progressive higher contributions (burdens are shared by the rich) to the system. Most importantly for the vulnerable, such a UHS provides ‘universalisation of social protection in health’.

Community Participation Rooted in the Human Rights Framework

Our approach to health, health care and participation is based on a human rights framework. In General Comment (GC) 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, Cultural Rights (ICESCR), an interpretation of the right to health, participation features as a central component to achieving the right to health. Notably, GC14 argues that participation in health systems should entail decision-making and should occur at local (community), national and international levels. All countries involved in the current proposal have ratified the ICESCR and are therefore state parties, recognising the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the General Comments elaboration. Hence, within this framework, participation becomes an obligation of the state, which must put in place mechanisms for meaningful participation.

Private Sector Engagement

With some exceptions, health systems in LMICs are characterised by weak public health systems and dominant private health providers. The potential benefits cited for involving the private sector are effectiveness, performance-orientation, promotion of a customer-centric approach and innovative financing. In the private sector, inputs are linked to outcomes and hence, believed to encourage a performance-driven environment. Countries around the world are trying out various mechanisms to insource/ empanel/enlist private providers for care provision through generally a national health insurance model (or a publicly financed health insurance) as a path towards Universal Health ‘Coverage’ because of under resourced public health systems. But these remain at a purely contractual arrangement level and participation of the communities are limited.

COMPLUS Scoping Review Protocol

Download

SCOPING REVIEW SUMMARIES

We conducted scoping reviews on three topics; how can people’s participation improve public and private health care, how to contracting systems affect primary health care and what role can community participation can play, and how can we achieve universal health coverage with plural health systems.

 

We present below the English briefs of these three scoping reviews.

HOW CAN PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IMRPOVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTH CARE

HOW DO CONTRACTING SYSTEMS AFFECT PRIMARY CARE AND WHAT ROLE CAN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PLAY

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE WITH PLURAL HEALTH SYSTEMS

For our community partners in South Africa, we also translated the scoping review summaries in isiXhosa and Afrikaans!

The isiXhosa versions

INGABA INXAXHEBA YABANTU INOKULUPHUCULA NJANI UKHATHALELO LWEMPILO LUKARHULUMENTE NOLWABUCALA

IINKQUBO ZOKWENZA IZIVUMELWANO ZILUCHAPHAZELA NJANI UNCEDO LOKUQALA KWAYE INXAXHEBA YOLUNTU INOKUDLALA EYIPHII INDIMA KULOMBA

SINGALUFUMANA NJANI UKHUSELEKO LWEZEMPILO JIKELELE KWINKQUBO YEZEMPILO ENINZI/NGOBUNINZI

The Afrikaans versions

HOE KAN MENSE HELP OM PUBLIEKE EN PRIVATE GESONDHEIDSORG VERBETER

HOE KAN KONTRAKTE PRIMÊRE SORG BETER MAAK EN EN HOE KAN GEMEENSKAPPE HELP

HOE KAN ALMAL GESONDHEIDSORG KRY MET GESONDHEIDSTELSELS
Blog
08 April 2026
Planning a Community-Led Intervention: The Idea Behind a MAS Celebration in Sandeep Layout, Bengaluru
Sandeep Layout MAS Meeting in September 2025, where the idea for this event was conceived....
Read More
Blog
04 February 2026
Community health committee symposium
Since 2023, SPARC began sharpening and deepening its focus on health via exploring the idea...
Read More
Blog
23 July 2025
Mobilising for Care: A Bengaluru Mahila Aarogya Samiti’s Fight for an Aanganwadi Centre
Authors: Menaka MB, Shayari Nag, Sweta Dash, Jith JR- The George Institute for Global Health,...
Read More
Blog
14 May 2025
The Weight of Care: Feminised Labour and the Exploitation of ASHA Workers in India’s Urban Health System
Authors: Pushpa V, Sweta Dash, Shayari Nag, Jith JR As a research team that had just started...
Read More
Blog
07 April 2025
When Communities Come Together, They Win
When Communities Come Together, They Win Residents of Parsiwadi in Ghatkopar, Mumbai have succeeded...
Read More

Our First issue newsletter is out!
Click to download PDF

Our Second Issue Newsletter is out!

CEBRAP conducted an interview between Vera and Frederico which was a very creative way of promoting COMPLUS. Portuguese Video, please use subtitles as appropriate

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Universal Health System​

There are many typologies for a Universal health system, which are often confounding and conflating, namely Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Universal Health care, Universal Access to health care and each of them stem from different political economy epistemologies. A UHS conceived by us is a system which offers comprehensive services based on everyone’s needs by virtue of being human (social justice) without any means-testing thereby catering to the most vulnerable, and irrespective of their ability to pay and will embody equity. UHS provides for greater solidarity, risk pooling and cross subsidisation and promotes social justice in which the rich are made to make progressive higher contributions (burdens are shared by the rich) to the system. Most importantly for the vulnerable, such a UHS provides ‘universalisation of social protection in health’.

Community Participation Rooted in the Human Rights Framework

Our approach to health, health care and participation is based on a human rights framework. In General Comment (GC) 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, Cultural Rights (ICESCR), an interpretation of the right to health, participation features as a central component to achieving the right to health. Notably, GC14 argues that participation in health systems should entail decision-making and should occur at local (community), national and international levels. All countries involved in the current proposal have ratified the ICESCR and are therefore state parties, recognising the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the General Comments elaboration. Hence, within this framework, participation becomes an obligation of the state, which must put in place mechanisms for meaningful participation.

Private Sector Engagement

With some exceptions, health systems in LMICs are characterised by weak public health systems and dominant private health providers. The potential benefits cited for involving the private sector are effectiveness, performance-orientation, promotion of a customer-centric approach and innovative financing. In the private sector, inputs are linked to outcomes and hence, believed to encourage a performance-driven environment. Countries around the world are trying out various mechanisms to insource/ empanel/enlist private providers for care provision through generally a national health insurance model (or a publicly financed health insurance) as a path towards Universal Health ‘Coverage’ because of under resourced public health systems. But these remain at a purely contractual arrangement level and participation of the communities are limited.

COMPLUS Scoping Review Protocol

Download

SCOPING REVIEW SUMMARIES

 

Our Scoping review on Community Participation is complete and here are the infographic summaries of them.

HOW CAN PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION IMPROVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTHCARE 

 

HOW DO CONTRACTING SYSTEMS AFFECT PRIMARY CARE & WHAT ROLE CAN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PLAY?

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE WITH PLURAL HEALTH SYSTEMS

We also translated our infographics into languages for the use by our community groups. Below are isiXhosa translations of scoping review summaries.

INGABA INXAXHEBA YABANTU INOKULUPHUCULA NJANI UKHATHALELO LWEMPILO LUKARHULUMENTE NOLWABUCALA?

 

IINKQUBO ZOKWENZA IZIVUMELWANO ZILUCHAPHAZELA NJANI UNCEDO LOKUQALA KWAYE INXAXHEBA YOLUNTU INOKUDLALA EYIPHII INDIMA KULOMBA?

SINGALUFUMANA NJANI UKHUSELEKO LWEZEMPILO JIKELELE KWINKQUBO YEZEMPILO ENINZI/NGOBUNINZI?

We also translated our infographics into languages for the use by our community groups. Below are Afrikaans translations of the scoping review summaries.

 

HOE KAN MENSE HELP OM PUBLIEKE EN PRIVATE GESONDHEIDSORG VERBETER?

 

HOE KAN KONTRAKTE PRIMÊRE SORG BETER MAAK EN EN HOE KAN GEMEENSKAPPE HELP?

 

HOE KAN ALMAL GESONDHEIDSORG KRY MET GESONDHEIDSTELSE?
Blog
08 April 2026
Planning a Community-Led Intervention: The Idea Behind a MAS Celebration in Sandeep Layout, Bengaluru
Sandeep Layout MAS Meeting in September 2025, where the idea for this event was conceived....
Read More
Blog
04 February 2026
Community health committee symposium
Since 2023, SPARC began sharpening and deepening its focus on health via exploring the idea...
Read More
Blog
23 July 2025
Mobilising for Care: A Bengaluru Mahila Aarogya Samiti’s Fight for an Aanganwadi Centre
Authors: Menaka MB, Shayari Nag, Sweta Dash, Jith JR- The George Institute for Global Health,...
Read More
Blog
14 May 2025
The Weight of Care: Feminised Labour and the Exploitation of ASHA Workers in India’s Urban Health System
Authors: Pushpa V, Sweta Dash, Shayari Nag, Jith JR As a research team that had just started...
Read More
Blog
07 April 2025
When Communities Come Together, They Win
When Communities Come Together, They Win Residents of Parsiwadi in Ghatkopar, Mumbai have succeeded...
Read More
Scroll to Top