Archive for the 'People’s Health Movement' Category
Add a comment March 3rd, 2009 by Matthew Anderson
We have just published the 12th edition of Social Medicine/Medicina Social, our bilingual, online journal. It is available in both English and Spanish. Our 12th issue captures the stories and struggles of diverse health activists, among them Dr. Walter Lear (shown below):
US Health Activism Collection
Last summer we had an opportunity to interview Dr. Lear (now 85 years old), founder of the US Health Activism Collection. In a wide-ranging interview in his home Dr. Lear discussed his personal background, the origins and purpose of the collection, the impact of the McCarthy period on the US health left, as well as his vision for the future (available at this link). Dr. Lear later added copious footnotes to his interview creating a virtual “Who’s Who” of the mid-20th century US health left.
Dr. Lear also allowed us to make PDF copies of two of the pamphlets in his collection. These are Autopsy on the AMA: An Analysis of Healthcare Delivery Systems in America [1970] published by the Student Research Facility and Your Health Care in Crisis: A HEALTH/PAC Special Report [1972] [Both documents are a bit long and may take some time to download.] Although HEALTH/PAC no longer exists as an organization, there is a HEALTH/PAC website.
Seize the Hospital to Serve the People
We are also publishing a video of Cleo Silvers, a remarkable Bronx health activist who was involved in the takeover of Lincoln Hospital. (For more on this take over see our spring 2007 journal) The video of Ms. Silvers can be seen at our Audio/Visual tab.
Should India Use Commercial Ready To Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) For Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) ?
Indian Activists associated with Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health Movement – India) and the Right to Food Campaign question the value of Plumpy Nut, an Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). They argue that locally produced alternatives are cheaper, more acceptable, and serve to strengthen communities. At the very least Plumpy Nut should have been compared to local supplements before being adopted by the government. Available at this link.
Combatting Organ Tafficking
Activists Debra A. Budiani and Kabir Karim of the Coalition for Organ-Failure Solutions discuss the social roots of organ trafficking and consider the implications of a 2008 WHO resolution and the Istanbul Declaration. Available at this link.
posted by Matt Anderson, MD
Add a comment January 29th, 2009 by Matthew Anderson
The USA circle of the People’s Health Movement is participating in two events in Washington in early February. In collaboration with Oxfam these two forums will address the role of the private sector in promoting access to universal health care. Here are the flyers for the two events:
The USA circle has recently set up a section on the PHM website which is worth a visit. You can now sign up for a PHM/USA listserve.
Posted by Matt Anderson
2 Comments October 19th, 2008 by Matthew Anderson
Last week saw the release of the second Global Health Watch report, created as an alternative to the WHO’s World Health Report. It is an initiative coordinated by the People’s Health Movement, the Global Equity Gauge Alliance and Medact with input from 80 organisations and more than 130 individuals. It presents a progressive agenda for global health. A sixteen page overview of the report can be downloaded here.
The Global Health Watch is important for several reasons. First, it provides a radical critique of the existing model of “global health” which is dominated by neoliberalism and a subservience to corporate interests. Secondly, it is a truly international critique which draws on the resources and experiences of academics, activists, and social movements throughout the world. This is a report born with a democratic spirit. Finally, in this international call to realize the vision of Alma Ata, we are reminded that another world is possible. Indeed, the very creation of the report shows us that there is a broad movement to create that other world. This is good news.
From the Press Release:
Alternative world health report calls for radical change
Civil society organizations and scientists from around the world are calling for ‘a new development paradigm’ to address the toxic combination of climate change, growing poverty and inequality and poor health.
The new report, Global Health Watch 2, says that unfair social and economic policies combined with bad politics are to blame for the poor state of the health of millions of people in the world. The report makes stinging criticisms of key global actors, including the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation. The report calls on governments to stop the Bank from meddling in health politics.
Global Health Watch 2 provides examples of civil society mobilization across the world for more equitable health care and more health promotion, although more is needed to bring about significant improvements in health.
The report reveals widespread unease about the immense but unaccountable power and influence of the Gates Foundation. It says that although the Gates Foundation has injected vast sums of money into global health, it operates in an undemocratic way and reinforces a medical-technical approach.
Among other issues it highlights is the pressure exerted on the World Health Organization by powerful and vested interests that would prefer WHO’s activities and programme to have a more biomedical and less political focus.
The first edition of Global Health Watch, published in 2005, was hailed for its ground-breaking analysis and mobilising call to action.
Marion Birch, director of the London-based charity, Medact:
“Priorities set by the rich world damage the health of people thousands of miles away. Funding for water and sanitation is falling while slum-dwellers in Lagos pay up to 40 times as much for water as residents in downtown New York. Oil extraction in the Niger Delta generates billions of dollars of revenue but local communities lack basic health care.”
Amit Sengupta of the People’s Health Movement in India:
“The World Bank’s job is to help transfer resources from richer to poor countries and it should act accordingly. Its impact on the health systems of poor countries has been largely negative. Internationally, it has also contributed to the uncoordinated circus of health sector policy-making that makes it difficult for Ministries of Health to function”.
Martin Drewry, director of the charity Health Unlimited:
“The majority world does not want charity – it wants a fairer political and economic system. It needs fewer billionaires; not more. While it is great that Bill Gates is willing to donate his money towards improving health in Africa, he would do far better campaigning for more effective tax systems both nationally and internationally”.
Posted by Matt Anderson
Add a comment June 30th, 2008 by Matthew Anderson
Our friends at the People’s Health Movement have just announced the next short course for health activists, being offered in Porto Alegre, Brazil, September 7-20, 2008. This course will be offered in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
The curriculum is an interesting one, and can be viewed at the International People’s Health University (IPHU) website. Of particular interest is the Resource Library at the IPHU website which includes a very rich selection of readings, Powerpoints and other materials (including videos) on the course content.
The curriculum includes:
- the struggle for health: achievements, strategies and new directions
- working with communities and with grass roots health organizations
- comprehensive primary health care: achievements, lessons and new
directions
- the political economy of health: globalization, the WTO, the IMF and
the WB; local issues and global pressures
- the right to health: principles, achievements and new directions
- people’s health and the environmental struggle
- research: part of the problem and part of the solution
- social determinants of health (poverty, oppression and hierarchy)
- alienation and exclusion
- racism and sexism
The 11 day course is presented by the International People’s Health University (IPHU) and the People’s Health Movement (PHM) in association with the School of Public Health of Rio Grande do Sul. The teaching faculty is drawn from Latin America and beyond. Priority is given to students from the Southern Cone. For more information about IPHU and the Porto Alegre Short Course go to www.phmovement.org/iphu. Further inquiries should be directed to the Course Coordinators (porto@phmovement.org).
The short course is offered periodically in various venues and languages. It was, for instance, offered at the US Social Forum in June of 2007.
Matt Anderson
[This entry was updated on 7/13/2008]
3 Comments May 12th, 2008 by Matthew Anderson
[This post, by Naveen Thomas, was originally published in June of 2005]
In January 1984, a group of doctors and other professionals who left their jobs in mainstream medical colleges started a community health study-reflection and action group in Bangalore, South India. Community Health Cell (CHC) which grew out of this group, was supported by the Centre for Non-Formal and Continuing Education, Bangalore, till 1990. In June 1990, the project was reviewed and the Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action (SOCHARA) was established and registered. Community Health Cell became its functional unit.
As the name suggests, the main aim of SOCHARA was to promote community health awareness, action and research. SOCHARA’s mandate also included evolving educational strategies in Community Health and Development. SOCHARA recognised the need to dialogue and participate with policy makers and implementers to enable the formulation and implementation of community oriented health policies. As a part of efforts to promote community health, SOCHARA also established a library, documentation and interactive information center in Community Health.
SOCHARA consists of 32 members who are distinguished in their own areas of work. CHC, the functional unit of SOCHARA consists of a small core team of 20-25 people, including health and social science professionals, office and library team, research and training assistants, supported by a large informal network of professional associates and friends. The strength of SOCHARA has been its wide network leading to a rich and diverse web of interaction among persons and groups involved in Community Health in India and across the globe.
SOCHARA/CHC have been involved in participatory community health training at middle and grassroots level, primarily with voluntary agencies in South India. On the medical education front, CHC collaborated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka to reorient the vision and mission of medical colleges, to improve their management and to introduce medical ethics, rational drug education and other socially relevant topics in the medical curriculum. In addition, SOCHARA/ CHC were also involved in research on strategies for social relevance and community orientation of Medical Education and follow up initiatives with colleges and universities.
Promotion and awareness building concerning rational drug prescribing, rational drug policy, patents and alternative systems of medicine is another area of SOCHARA/ CHC’s functioning. SOCHARA/ CHC also took an active part in the recent Global Campaign against Indian Patents Amendment (GCAIPA).
SOCHARA/CHC has been providing active support to research and awareness building on environmental health issues including mining, Bhopal gas disaster, etc. The other disasters that SOCHARA/ CHC has been actively involved in facilitating relief and rehabilitation efforts include the Bangladesh cyclone disaster, Uttarkashi, Marathwada and Kutch earthquakes and Tsunami in Southern India.
Over the past two decades, SOCHARA/CHC have been motivating and guiding young professionals who were in the process of reflecting about their personal interest or commitment to community health. They spent 3 – 12 months in CHC where they went through a learning process that was person-centred, with peer support, short assignments, self-study, presentations, writing of reports, etc. Today, over 95% of the professionals continue to work in the area of community health.
A review of SOCHARA/CHC in 1998 and subsequent reviews suggested that CHC expand its training and mentoring role. As a result, a Community Health Fellowship Scheme commenced in April 2003, providing an opportunity for young professionals to learn about community health and its various options by involving themselves in a person-centred, semi-structured training programme. This role of SOCHARA/ CHC is being further consolidated, and CHC is evolving into a research and educational centre in community health, public health and health policy.
The other area in which SOCHARA/CHC has been greatly involved is in building a people’s movement in health. The SOCHARA/ CHC review had also suggested that CHC utilize its network and relationships built over the years to contribute to a mass movement in health. This came true in 2000 A.D., with the Indian Health Assembly held in Calcutta, India and the first People’s Health Assembly (PHA-1) being held in Savar, Bangladesh in December 2000. CHC contributed in mobilizing people and organisations, and in conducting both these assemblies. CHC was also deeply involved in the formation of the People’s Health Movement (PHM) and in drafting of the People’s Charter for Health.
In 2002 two years after the first PHA, PHM secretariat was shifted from GK, Savar to the PHM India region, and CHC was asked to host it on behalf of region. Ravi Narayan is currently the co-ordinator of the PHM Secretariat (Global) based at CHC, Bangalore. The People’s Health Movement has come a long way, and five years after its formation, is getting ready to host the second People’s Health Assembly (PHA-2) at Cuenca, Ecuador in July 2005.
To know more about SOCHARA/CHC, get in touch with us, or email Thelma Narayan, the co-ordinator of CHC.
Naveen I. Thomas, Health Policy Fellow, CHC (June 2005)
