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Strengthening Balkans Civil Society’s Voice for Public Health through Public Health Associations


No Tobacco Day 2007 event in Belgrade
National No-Tobacco Day 2007 event in Belgrade, Serbia.

About the project

The Strengthening Balkans Civil Society’s Voice for Public Health through Public Health Associations initiative, funded by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), aims to improve the health of people living in Bosnia & Herzegovina and in the Republic of Serbia through a partnership between Canada and the public health communities in these two countries. The project is managed by and implemented through the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). It was developed through a collaborative effort between CPHA, the Public Health Association of Serbia, and public health community stakeholders in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH). The project started in September 2005. Field-based activities will end September 30, 2009.

Capacity building is the central strategy throughout this project. The project will strengthen the organizational and performance capacity of public health associations to advocate for and provide sound technical input to health policy and programs and to improve knowledge and skills among the public health workforce. This will help to strengthen democratic processes through the participation of civil society organizations in discussions around public policy and programs. The project will also promote regional consultations about important public health issues and the role PHAs can play to strengthen national and regional capacity to respond to present and emerging public health issues.

By the end of the project, the public health associations in Bosnia & Herzegovina and in the Republic of Serbia will be expected:

  • to function effectively and efficiently and in a sustainable manner;
  • to assume a leadership role for public health and social development;
  • to promote and support broad public engagement and participation in health policy, program standards of practice development and assessment; and
  • to build partnerships and alliances with other agencies and organizations and professional associations for action on important national and trans-national health issues.

The project is managed by a highly qualified CPHA team based in Sarajevo (the Project Director and the Public Health Project Officer for the FBiH), Banja Luka (the Public Health Project Officer for the RS) and Belgrade (the Administrative Officer). A Canada-based Project Assistant and a part-time Public Health Consultant support the Balkans-based team.