A framework linking community empowerment and health equity : it is a matter of CHOICE

"This paper presents a framework to explore the relationship between health equity and community empowerment. It traces the progression of the concept of participation to the present term of empowerment and the links among empowerment, equity and health outcomes. It argues that the relationship can best be described by using the acronym CHOICE (Capacity-building, Human rights, Organisational sustainability, Institutional accountability, Contribution, and Enabling environment)...In conclusion, it suggests that these factors might form the basis of a tool to assess the relationship between equity and empowerment and its impact on health outcomes"