Reducing Health Inequalities: The Role of Civil Society

This report examines the inequalities in access to healthcare services and explores the role that civil society organisations (CSOs) play in reducing these health inequalities.The role of CSOs is emphasised in the report as it serves as an indicator of where the state is failing in relation to healthcare. Using a case study approach, the report provides a comparative analysis of access to diagnostic services in Ireland, Germany and Spain – three European countries with different health systems.

The three case study conditions are autism spectrum disorder, lung cancer and brain tumours. The focus on diagnostic services was selected because access to diagnosis is crucial to surviving life threatening illnesses (lung cancer and brain tumours) and essential for improving life trajectories for those with developmental conditions (autism spectrum disorder).

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