ABSTRACT
This chapter collectively refers community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as the “citizen sector.” It conveys in short order the role of the citizen sector in addressing health and public health issues, as well as to touch on the wide range of health and public health issues NGOs and CBOs are taking on in the world. The chapter presents a way forward that is being embraced by many; namely, the trend and the need for the citizen sector to partner, problem solve, collaborate, and cooperate not only with each other, but also across sectors so that more coordinated and “complete” responses can be planned and implemented. The range of topics that intersect and contribute to the health of an individual or population can essentially be described through the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Literature on the SDOH has typically shown that those with higher levels of education have better health.
