Health Equity

HEALTH: Voices of Alarm and Moderation at WHO Meet

GENEVA, May 18 (IPS) - World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan issued a warning about the danger posed by the H1N1 flu epidemic, while health ministers from several countries recommended avoiding excesses when it came to remarks about a potential pandemic.

(Press Release - May 18, 2009) PHM at WHA 2009: “Declare Global economic downturn a health emergency!”

“Economic Recession is a threat to the world’s health”

The People’s Health Movement urges the World Health Organization and member governments to “declare the economic recession currently gripping the globe as a health emergency”.

Health activists gathered here in Geneva for the World Health Assembly (18-22 May) are expected to lobby the UN health body and governments to declare global downturn a health emergency.

(Press Release - May 19, 2009) WHA 2009: PHM statements on key health issues

WHA 2009: PHM statements on key health issues - May 19, 2009

On recession and impact on health:

  1. “Declare Global economic downturn a health disaster!”.
  2. Economic Recession is a threat to the world’s health
  3. The PHM demands immediate measures by the international community and individual governments:

PHM Calls Upon the 62nd Assembly to Act Decisively

The People’s Health Movement (PHM) is a world wide movement of people’s organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and wide range of civil society networks and social movements. The PHM was launched as a result of the People’s Health Assembly that was convened in December 2000 in Bangladesh.

Urgent need to ensure developing countries have fair access to influenza anti-virals and vaccines

The current outbreak of swine flu (H1N1) outbreak has again highlighted concerns that people in developing countries will have little or inadequate access to much needed influenza vaccines or anti-viral treatments. Thus, there is an urgent need for establishing a global system of fair and equitable system for the sharing of the flu vaccines as well as anti-viral treatments on the basis of need, wherein people in affected developing countries have access.

PHM Open Letter to the WHO's Executive Board Meeting

Jan 19, 2009

Distinguished members of the Executive Board of WHO,

The People's Health Movement (PHM) is a world wide movement of people's organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and wide range of civil society networks and social movements. The PHM was launched as a result of the People's Health Assembly that was convened in December 2000 in Bangladesh.

Health and human security in West Papua

Recent publications have highlighted the impact of human rights violations, poverty and extraction of natural resources on the health status of the indigenous people of West Papua. However, the Australian medical literature has so far remained silent on this issue.

Long-standing allegations of violence being perpetrated against Papuan civil society are supported by accounts given by West Papuan refugees involved in an Australian-based study.

“To promote the spirit of Alma Ata, conditions are better than ever”

The 30th anniversary of the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration was marked by a celebration in Brussels on October 17, 2008. During the program, two PHM activists were interviewed on the significance of Alma Ata and the way forward in the struggle for the right to health. Here are some excerpts from this interview with Arturo Quizhpe from Ecuador and Wim De Ceukelaire from Belgium.

What do you remember from Alma Ata and how did you learn about it?

Stand up, organize and struggle for the right to health

Synthesis by Dr. Bert De Belder (intal) of the seminar "30 years of Alma Ata: The Right to Health is not for Sale" on October 17, 2008 in ULB, Brussels, Belgium.*

Reflection on Primary Health Care 30 years after Alma Ata and the challenges ahead

The recently released World Health Report on PHC (WHO Oct 2008) is an attempt to bring PHC again to the forefront of our priorities in global health. Good for that!

But the world has changed in these 30 years.

In 1978, we did not have:

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