Our intention is to reach the most representative and broadest possible group of interested parties. This is why organisations and individuals can become members of Be-cause health. Member organisations can have both a public and private character.

Become a member

Why become a member?

Be-cause health is the Belgian network of stakeholders active in global health and healthcare. The members of the network are very heterogeneous and come from NGOs, academic institutions, governments, consultancy firms, student associations, etc. Be-cause health provides an opportunity to all these stakeholders to meet and exchange experiences, and also to learn and cooperate through the working groups or coordinated activities and give input to governmental policies.

Who can become a member?

Be-cause health membership is open to both organisations and individuals involved in global health. The diversity of these stakeholders gives the platform its strength and ensures quality results for a more effective Belgian contribution to global health policies and to the international policy debate based on the right to health and healthcare for all.

In general, the platform consists of three categories of members.

  1. Individual members
  2. Member organisations
  3. Observing members

How to become a member?

The distinct types of membership come with different procedures for membership approval.

  1. As an individual

    Please, apply to become a member of Be-cause health by sending an e-mail to the Be-cause health secretariat containing a short presentation of yourself, and your motivation and interest in becoming an active member in one (or more) of our active or ad-hoc working groups. Our working group coordinators will contact you as soon as possible. You can read the internal regulations (version November 2023) and our privacy policy for more information.

  2. As an organisation

    Apply for membership by contacting the Be-cause health secretariat. The Be-cause health Coordinator will contact you for a short introduction. You will be asked to submit a letter of motivation and conduct an ethical self-screening. [insert the tool once ready]

    An Ethical Commission within the Steering Committee will evaluate the organisation’s compliance with the vision, mission, values, and principles of Be-cause health by reviewing the ethical self-screening and starting a dialogue when appropriate. If the Steering Committee accepts the application, you are expected to present your organization to the General Assembly.

    Private for-profit companies that offer their products and/or services as open source public goods can apply for membership. This will be checked during the ethical screening procedure.

    However, the following categories of organisations (including their foundations, trust organisations, etc.) are de facto excluded and will never become member of the platform. They can be invited to participate in the Be-cause health working groups or activities:
    • Private for-profit pharmaceutical companies;
    • Private for-profit health care institutions;
    • Private for-profit health insurance companies;
    • Private for-profit construction companies;
    • Private for-profit commercial software developers;
    • Private for-profit health medical equipment or supplies business;
    • Political parties;
    • Banks or financial institutions;
    • Enterprises linked to manufacturing of and/or investing in weapons, petrochemical industry, mining, extraction and food, beverage or other products recognised as deleterious to health.
  3. Observing members

    Donors are by default observing members during their period of funding of the platform Be-cause health. Federal and regional Belgian ministries are by default observing members.

How to end being a member?

At any point in time a member can choose to terminate its membership. For this the member contacts the Be-cause health secretariat and is withdrawn from the membership list.

Every 4 years a member is asked to renew its membership. If a member does not renew its membership, the member is withdrawn from the membership list.

When a member organisation chooses to renew its membership, the Ethical Commission assesses if there have been relevant changes that impact the eligibility of the membership. If so, the ethical screening procedure will be reviewed. In case the membership is assessed to no longer be eligible, the General Assembly decides on the exclusion of the member organisation.

In the case there is a complaint about ethical misconduct of a member, the Ethical Commission assesses if the complaint is justified. If so, the Commission conducts an ethical screening of the member. If the membership is no longer eligible, the Steering Committee can decide to suspend the member until the decision on an exclusion of the member is taken by the General Assembly.

Everyone who is interested (also non-members) can receive an invitation to the General Assembly, the international Be-cause health conferences and subscribe for our newsletter in which next to other activities from or related to the platform, the General Assembly and the conferences of Be-cause health will be announced .

Members have a voting right at the General Assembly if a vote is necessary.

Member organisations are mentioned with their logo on the website of Be-cause health, can contact us to publish news, activities or vacancies on our website, in our monthly Update and through our social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). Member organisations have the possibility to engage themselves for official documents.


  • Endorse the vision and mission of Be-cause health and the principles of the Health(care) for All declaration.
  • Be active in and/or have an interest in cooperation with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in combating global poverty and inequality.
  • Show an interest in what is happening in Belgium in the field of global health.
  • Be actively engaged within at least one of the thematic or ad hoc Be-cause health working groups.
  • Having read and agree with the Internal Regulations 2.0, adopted by the General Assembly on 26th September 2023.
  • Having read and agree with the Be-cause health privacy policy.