Health Equity

Commission on Social Determinants of Health: Good Diagnosis – Now for the Prescription….

From the media coverage of the report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, one might think it said nothing new. There are considerable inequalities in health, particularly between rich and poor. These arise from differences in incomes, access to health services, clean water, sanitation and education. There is a moral imperative to act on this social injustice. All of this could have been said at any time over the last 20 or 30 years.

Declaration from the National Egyptian Committee on the Right to Health

On Thursday September 4th, 2008 the Egyptian Administrative Court has announced its verdict in the urgent appeal of the case no. 21665/61 by suspending the execution of the Prime Minister decree no. 637 for the year 2007 by founding the Egyptian Holding Company for Heath Care.

Health in Zimbabwe: PHM Zimbabwe Position Paper June 2008

PHM Position Paper on Health in Zimbabwe, posted 14 June 2008. Includes more detailed analysis of the socio-economic background; the main current issues; the role of the state and recommendations from the Community Working Group on Health.

1. Socio-economic background

At Independence in 1980, Zimbabwe inherited some of the worst rural-urban disparities in the provision of social services. In the 1980s, the new national government made commendable progress in redressing these disparities. In healthcare delivery, these efforts

Right to Health and Health Care Campaign Update, February 2008

In this Update: Funds for Asia and Middle East/North Africa participation now available! / Funding Criteria / Campaign Media and Communications Team forming / Upcoming Meetings / Have a virtual meeting with the coordinators via Skype / Campaign FAQs / Country Updates.

To the new leadership of the WHO: A renewed commitment or more empty promises?

Alison Katz, a long-time staff member at the World Health Organization and activist with the People’s Health Movement, sent the open letter below to Dr. Margaret Chan, the new Director-General of WHO. Alison’s letter provides a passionate and articulate summary of the choices facing WHO if it is to meet its promise of "Health for All."

WHO Chief's Stand on Generic Drugs Slammed

BANGKOK, Feb 2 (IPS) - Civil society and humanitarian groups slammed the new head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the sidelines of a meeting here, after she appeared to favour the interests of pharmaceutical giants over the plight of the sick and the poor in the developing world.

This year's Olle Hansson Award to Dr. K Bala

The Olle Hansson Award recognizes the work of individuals from developing countries who have contributed most to promoting the concepts of essential drugs and their rational use and increasing the awareness among consumers of the dangers of irrational and hazardous drugs.

Governments Must Move Forward with Global R&D Framework at World Health Assembly

As health ministers meet in Geneva at the World Health Assembly (WHA) next week, the medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is calling on governments to overhaul the way medical research and development (R&D) is prioritised and financed, and support a resolution proposed by Kenya and Brazil for a "global framework on essential health R&D." Despite gathering increasing support from many governments, this resolution has faced consistent obstruction on the part of the WHO Secretariat.

Development agenda in the World Intellectual Property Organization

Amit Sen Gupta

28 April 2006
A major development on Intellectual Property Rights in October 2005 went virtually unnoticed. The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reached an agreement to continue work on a development agenda for WIPO that is being pushed-for by most developing countries.

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