Results: Health Councils are limited by a lack of legal authority, which limits their ability to hold the government
accountable for its health service performance, and thus hinders their ability to fulfill their mandate. Equally
important, their membership guidelines create a limited level of inclusivity that seems to benefit only wellorganized
civil society groups. There is a reported lack of support and recognition from the relevant government
that negatively affects the degree to which Health Council deliberations are implemented. Other deficiencies
include an insufficient amount of resources for Health Council operations, and a lack of training for Health Council
members. Lastly, strong individual interests among Health Council members tend to influence how members
participate in Health Council discussions.