Empowering communities to protect themselves

WHO/Europe supports countries to engage with and empower communities as partners in emergency preparedness and response so that interventions are better tailored, targeted and more efficient. Communities are the primary source of capacity to tackle emergencies, whether through local governments or local partners, before national governments and international partners can step in. Through community engagement, communities are empowered to co-design and co-deploy response interventions.  

With their close, trusting links to communities, civil society organizations (CSOs) and health and social workers can provide services and support during emergencies, particularly to underserved or hard-to-reach groups. They are well-positioned to provide feedback on the acceptability of public health measures, allowing health authorities to adapt and improve interventions.  

Partnerships with community actors – such as faith-based organizations, community leaders, youth, health workers, journalists and CSOs – can create a bridge between government, health authorities and citizens, promoting trust, providing responsive and accountable services, and increasing the acceptance and uptake of emergency interventions.