'TARGET INDIAN ELECTIONS' - Health Activists gear up to push health
Agenda
15 January 2004, Mumbai
While a top UN official pledges WHO’s commitment to challenge
WTO, delegates from 50 countries at the International Health Forum pledge
solidarity to their Indian counterparts.
“Plans are being mooted “to take head on” with anti-people health
policy makers and politicians in the upcoming elections” said a leading
Indian health activist. General elections in India are expected to happen
soon.
Over 700 participants from nearly 50 countries attending the two days
International Health Forum, being held at Mumbai (on 14th and 15th
January) took note of the speculation of the ensuing general elections in
India. They pledged their solidarity and support to Indian counterparts to
design strategies to place health on the centre stage of political process.
“We were disappointed with the National Health Policy and the
pharmaceutical policy that were announced during the present government”
said a spokesperson for the People’s Health Movement who is facilitating
the summit.
“Kenya’s experience shows that if there is public pressure, politicians
will take health issues seriously” said Malachi Orondo, leading HIV/ AIDS
educator from Kenya. “Today, the Kenyan President himself is the Chairman
of the HIV/ AIDS cabinet committee and it is making a difference” he said.
“WHO realizes that globalisation has lead to the further weakening of
health systems, health care facilities and has increased health inequities”
said Dr.Craig McClure, Team Leader for the “3 by 5” Initiative of the
World Health Organization. WHO and UNAIDS is promising HIV/AIDS medicines
for 3 million people in developing countries by 2005.
“We are committed to challenge the World Trade Organization” said Dr.
McClure. He added that the new Director General and his team at the WHO is
focusing on primary health care, strengthening of health systems and to
bring back the principles of Alma Ata, the historic declaration 25 years
ago, that promised Health for All by 2000 AD.
“Globalisation has amplified the risk to life and health” said Ms. Medha
Patkar. “It is true that health doesn’t figure as an agenda in a world
that is drowned in money and market. The need is to fight globalisation
without any compromises” said the leading Indian Activist.
Testimonies that gave blow by blow account of what health activists and
health workers who are assembled here would call as the ‘killer impact’
of globalisation and militarization were eye openers. Two days have
witnessed a series of testimonies.
“Globalisation is the major block in ensuring health for the rural people.
The cost of health care has gone up many folds making it unaffordable”
said Ms. Mamtaz Begum Maya a health worker from Bangladesh.
“Globalisation and free trade are hitting the indigenous people in Latin
America” said Hugo Icu Peren from Guatemala. “It is colonisation in a
new form and pace. We will fight and reject it” he said.
“100,000 Latin Americans badly need medicines to treat HIV/ AIDS without
which they will die” warned Richard Stern an HIV/ AIDS specialist and
human rights activist from Costa Rica.
Participants from Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ecuador and Africa gave a
blow by blow account of the negative impacts of wars and conflicts. In a
moving testimony, Dr. Jihad Mashal, a neurosurgeon from the Occupied
territories of Palestine, highlighted that Israeli check points have
resulted in 72 women delivering at check points. “Nearly half of the
children didn’t survive. Military occupation is preventing access to
health facilities and is bad for health and life”, he said.
“Continued disrespect of the International Humanitarian Law was noted as
the single largest cause of the growing humanitarian emergency” remarked
the United Nations recently, referring to the deteriorating situation in
Palestine. UN estimates that the world spends more than 800 billion US
dollars every year for military expenditure whereas just 9 billion US
dollars are required to provide water and sanitation for the people in
developing countries.
“The health movement will be holding a session in New Delhi to
galvanise strategies to push health in the next elections” said Dr. T.
Sundaraman, a member of the organising committee of this two-day event. “We
hope to learn from Latin America and Africa where health activists have
managed to push health into the political process’ added Dr.Thelma Narayan,
a community health expert from India.
Members of PHM will be actively involved in the World Social Forum to
strengthen alliances with social movements to push the agenda of Health For
All.
According to the People’s Health Movement, launched at the first People’s
Health Assembly in Bangladesh in 2000, urgent action is required to place
health as a political agenda and fight forces of globalisation and
militarization.
People’s Charter for Health, the guiding spirit of the People’s Health
Movement is the largest consensus document on health in the world translated
into more than 40 languages. The latest additions are Sinhalese and Telugu.
Dr. Ravi Narayan Dr. B . Ekbal
Co-ordinator: PHM Secretariat Convenor
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (PHM India)
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