Community participation and attitudes of decision-makers towards community involvement in health development in Saudi Arabia.

National policies and government strategies in Saudi Arabia are adequate for the promotion of community involvement in health development (CIH). The system of government is decentralized and has ample scope for intersectorial cooperation. In Ha'il and Qasim regions active efforts are being made to realize intersectorial coordination through regional committees in which community leaders are involved; unfortunately, however, such mechanisms are lacking at the central level. Decision-makers and community leaders adequately recognized and interpreted the importance of CIH. Most of the respondents advocated community participation in planning and evaluation, while less than 50% thought that communities could participate in the implementation of health services. A survey in Ha'il and Qasim regions of 2417 residents indicated that community participation in health activities was in its infancy and that considerable effort is still needed at the central, regional, and peripheral levels to achieve meaningful community involvement in health.