International Health Co-operative Organisation

A sectoral organisation of the ICA

www.ica.coop/ihco

About IHCO

The International Health Co-operative Organisation (IHCO) is a sectoral organisation of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) which brings together co-operatives within the ICA membership that provide health care to their members or the provide self-employment for health professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) or integrate consumers' and producers' co-operatives. It was founded in 1996.

Objectives

Its objectives are to :

provide a forum for the discussion and exchange of issues of relevant to its member organisation's;
provide information to United Nations organisations, national governments, the media and the public about the nature and role of health co-operatives;
promote the development of health co-operatives;
collaborate with other sectoral organisations and thematic committees of the ICA.

Structure

IHCO has two regional entities for Asia and the Pacific (Asia-Pacific Health Co-operative Organisation - APHCO) and the Europe (IHCO Europe). These two regional sectoral organisations organise meetings and activities in their respective regions.

Statutes

The International Health Co-operative Organisation was founded in 1995. The statutes of IHCO are presently being reviewed in order to adapt them to new ICA regulations.

The new IHCO statutes will be published after March 2006.

IHCO-ICA Agreement

As a sectoral organisation of the International Co-operative Alliance, the IHCO has signed an agreement with the ICA, regulating IHCO structure and activities to correspond to overall ICA demands.

Last Updated: 08 May 2008