IAPO launches ground-breaking Global Patient Charter on Social Participation

The International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) is proud to unveil the Global Patient Charter on Social Participation: a landmark initiative set to championing meaningful engagement of patients and people with lived experience in health governance and health systems transformation.

Launching at IAPO’s 11th Global Patients Congress (GPC 2025) in Manila and online on Sunday, 16 November 2025. the Charter will serve as a practical tool designed to help patient organisations engage with governments and promote locally rooted and context-sensitive social participation.

The Charter was developed as part of IAPO’s efforts to promote social participation in line with the World Health Assembly resolution on social participation for universal health coverage, health and well-being adopted in 2024. It was co-created over several months through the collective input of more than 35 IAPO member organisations and an advisory group of health experts working with the social participation agenda, and offers concrete benchmarks for what meaningful social participation should look like.

“For patient organisations, participation in health isn’t optional, it’s imperative”, said Dani Mothci, IAPO CEO. “The Global Patient Charter on Social Participation is a bold step in supporting patients, people with lived experience and communities to play an active role in health decision making in their countries.”

To support the adoption of the Global Patient Charter on Social Participation, IAPO has also developed an Initial Implementation Guide, to assist patient organisations worldwide with putting the Charter into action in different settings, geographies, socioeconomic realities and optimise its reach and impact on the ground.

Following its launch, the Charter will be further promoted through IAPO’s Patient Solidarity Day on Wednesday 3 December 2025, serving as a platform to raise awareness and gather endorsements from the global patient community.

In 2026, IAPO will establish the Patient Charter Review Committee to monitor implementation and progress. Additional resource will be released to support this effort.

You can download both the Charter and Implementation Guide here.