COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Community Participation is the process by which individual and families assume responsibilities
for their own health and welfare and those of the community and develop capacity to contribute
to their development .They come to know their own situation better and are motivated to solve
their common problem.

Or

Another name for C/P is Community Involvement, Participatory Development, Community

Decision Making process, Citizen Participation .C/P is a social process whereby specific groups
with shared needs living in a defined geographical area actively pursue identification of their
need

Or

White 1981 define it as the involvement of the local population actively in the decision making
concerning development project or in their implementation

Or

A process whereby those with a legitimate interest in a project influence decisions which affect
them.

Or

A meaningful participation f individual and groups at all stage of development process including
that of initiating action.

Or

The involvement of intended beneficiaries in the planning, design, implementation and

subsequent maintenance of the development intervention .People are mobilized, manage
resources and make decisions that affect their lives.

Or

A range of processes through which local communities are involved and play a role in issues
which affect them.

APPROACH TO COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

1. MEDICAL APPROACH : C/P is defined as activities undertaken in order to reduce

individual illness and improve the general environment .e.g cleaning of environment
2. HEALTH SERVICE APPROACH : C/P is define as the mobilization of community
people to take an active part in the delivery of health services e.g training of health
workers .
3. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH : C/P is defined as the community
members being actively involved in decision making on how to improve their health
conditions .
STAGES OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATON
1. NEED ASSESSMENT: This refers to expressing opinion about desirable
improvement and prioritizing goals
2. PLANNING : Formulating objectives ,setting of goals and criticizing plans
3. MOBILIZING : Raising awareness in a community about needs ,establishing or
supporting organizational structures
4. TRAINING: Participation in formal and informal training activities to enhance
communication, construction and maintenance.
5. IMPLEMENTING :it involves engaging in management activities contributing
directly to constructive operations and maintenance with labour and materials
contributing cash towards costs ,paying of services or membership fees .
6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION : Participating in appraisal of work
done ,recognizing ,improvement that can be made .
ADVANTAGES OF C/P
1. It assist in making health resources responsible to basic health needs of the people
2. It helps to extend the coverage of health services to ultimately intensify the
impact of health investment.
3. It increases the possibility that health program and project will be appropriate and
successful in meeting the health needs
4. Health programs will have better chance of success when health services are
consistent with local perception of health need and managed by people .
5. It breaks the bond of dependence
6. People would make better use of existing health services and would ensure their
sustainability.
7. People would be able to contribute resources of money ,labour and material o
support the scarce resources .
8. People would change their por health behavior if they had been involved in
exploring its consequences
9. People would gain experience and information t help them control their lives .
10. People would have control over the amount ,quality and benefit of developing
activities to help make the process self sustaining .
FACTORS INFLUENCING C/P
1. Awareness of populace at the community level
2. Political environment
3. Structure of the health system
4. Economic situation
5. Capacity of the health system