A call to vote. Health and democracy are inextricably linked. Democracy thrives when citizens engage actively in the electoral process, expressing their will and aspirations through the power of their votes. Their collective voices determine who will be entrusted with safeguarding the health and well-being of everyone and sends a signal about which policies they should adopt. Through this process, individuals can play a role in creating the laws that are passed and hold governments to account for their actions. For these reasons, the right to vote and public participation ‘lies at the core of democratic government’. However, not everyone who can vote does so. If voting is the vital link between health and politics, then without active participation in the electoral process, this link will be broken. It is imperative that, by voting, we maintain and strengthen this crucial connection.
Read the full statement by EUPHAnxt and the sections on Law and Public Health section and Public health policy and politics here.
