Active Citizenship as an Integrating Axis between Health in All Policies and the Well-being Economy

Abstract

The persistence of social inequities has affected the quality of life of the population in many countries for a long time. To counteract this situation, multinational agencies have proposed several political/technical alternatives among which Health in All Policies and the Well-being Economy stand out; in which the interaction of various sectors together with society at large is crucial to achieve the goals set in all areas. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of some of the main enablers that bring the two initiatives together, emphasising the active participation of citizens as a support for achieving the social justice and sustainable development goals of governments. In the research, we used an interpretative synthesis method in three phases: an exploration of the empirical work supporting Health in All Policies and its connection to Wellbeing Economy; a study of the theory of community social capital as a basis for building inclusive community participation; and finally, we analysed the fundamental elements that enable population groups, particularly the most vulnerable, to share power in making decisions that concern them according to their real and felt needs and problems. The results lead us to conclude that it is necessary for governments to privilege citizen power as a convergent strategic axis to strengthen their own institutions, both in the design and implementation of actions undertaken in the effort to mitigate social inequities through Health in All Policies and Well-being Economy