New article: Whose voice counts? Public participation as a legal and commercial determinant of health in South Africa
Content
New article published in BMJ Global Health by Sameera Mahomedy and Nosiphiwo Nzimande.
Summary:
- Public participation is a constitutional and democratic requirement in South Africa, yet it is rarely analysed as a mechanism through which power, timing and outcomes in health policymaking are structured.
- Drawing on an experience- based vignette and documented policy examples, this commentary demonstrates how administrative delay, limited responsiveness and procedural opacity in participation design shape who can engage and when health-protective policies materialise.
- Reframing public participation as a legal and commercial determinant of health highlights concrete procedural reform levers, including consultation timelines, transparency registers, conflict- of- interest standards and equity- oriented access measures.
