News and Analysis

The South African Chapter of People's Health Movement South Africa (PHM SA)* supports the demands of public sector workers for a wage increase of 8,6 percent and a housing allowance of R1000. We call on the government to meet these demands, and to negotiate openly and honestly with the workers' representative in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Last May 2009, intal partners Advocates for Community Health, Council for Health and Development (CHD) and Gabriela conducted a training cum workshop for community health workers (CHWs) to enhance their skills in documenting their herbal medicine practice. Two participants were conspicuously absent during the follow up training on herbal medicine documentation ---medical doctor Merry Mia-Clamor and midwife Teresa “Tere” Quinawayan. 

 To:  African Heads of State during the AU Summit July 2010

• Download the PHM statement in PDF here.

The People’s Health Movement strongly condemns the Israeli government’s violent and premeditated attack on the civilian flotilla’s carrying peaceful activists and humanitarian aid to Gaza on 31st May 2010. 

On May 28th the first National Health Forum, “Building Social Participation in Health” was held in San Salvador, El Salvador with the participation of around 3,000 people from around the country. 

The Government of El Salvador’s Health Policy for 2009-2014 includes, among other areas relevant to citizen participation in health, the creation of a National Health Forum for the purpose of making consensus-based decisions for the development of a National Health 

The People’s Health Movement, a global network bringing together grassroots activists, civil society organizations, academics and health workers from around the world, condemns the action by the Malawian judicial system in sentencing Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, a gay couple, to 14 years in imprisonment in Blantyre, Malawi for committing “unnatural acts” based on outdated colonial laws.

Section 20 of the Malawian constitution clearly states:

PHM Nigeria circle was created when a group of young Nigerian activists were brought together at the April 2010 IPHU course- the struggle for health in Kenya. Although from different parts of the country, we recognized that there is a need for civil society to mobilize for the vision of health for all in Nigeria.

14-15 May 2010
Geneva, Switzerland

• Download the Background Note in PDF here.
• Download the Statement in PDF here.
• Download the Workshop Program and Presentations in PDF here.

Representatives of a range of civil society organizations working in health met over two days in Geneva, 14-15 May 2010, to review current structures of global health governance; consider possible directions for reform and adopt strategies for driving such reform.

The discussion of governance issues was shaped by concerns for deepening inequalities and by an awareness of the harm and future dangers of the food, financial and climate crises.

The meeting recognized GHG as a sub-domain of global governance and strongly shaped by economic policy priorities, rather than an autonomous domain of governance, responding primarily to health needs and considerations. The meeting reviewed the contemporary global governance of: human resources for health, trade and health, social determinants, primary health care and health care financing.  In each case the presentations and plenary discussion sought to:

Press release, 2010 May 14

Latin American civil society condemns Human Rights violation by the EU in the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal

Civil society organizations of Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, countries affected by the seizure of generic medicines in European harbors, will present to the Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPC), today, May 14th, in Madrid, Spain, a complaint against the European Union (EU) for the seizures. The organizations request that the EU be held guilty for violating the right to health and to life of the populations of the affected countries, for imposing illegitimate and illegal obstacles in the access to generic medicines used in treating several illnesses. The gravity of this fact was reinforced on the 12th of May when the Brazilian and Indian governments requested a consultation in the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the EU and Netherlands regarding the seizures.

Australia and New Zealand announced in 2009 that they were commencing negotiations with 14 Pacific island countries for a new trade agreement to be called PACER-Plus. This new agreement would replace existing trade arrangements in the region.

PACER-Plus has the potential to enhance or jeopardise health and health care in the Pacific island countries. The current negotiations provide the opportunity to get it right, to promote economic development in the Pacific, to progress Health for All, and make progress towards realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).