[health-vn] a note on the pre-WHA civil society workshop, Geneva

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: 	PHM-Exch> a note on the pre-WHA civil society workshop, Geneva
Date: 	Fri, 15 May 2009 23:07:10 +0700
From: 	Claudio Schuftan <cschuftan at phmovement.org>
To: 	phm-exchange at phm.phmovement.org

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From: *PHM Global Secretariat* secretariat at phmovement.org
<mailto:secretariat at phmovement.org>

*The PHM and calls upon WHO to act decisively *

Campaigners from around the world will be gathering in Geneva this week
to press the World Health Assembly to adopt policies that combat the
root causes of ill-health.

A 2-day forum "Equity, Justice and Health" will be held just prior to
the 62^nd World Health Assembly on 15-16 May 2009 and will impress
upon WHO the need to move more decisively towards declaring a commitment
to health as a fundamental human right

Campaigners, led by the "People's Health Movement", will also be
pressing WHO to request member states to ensure that the health care
systems are adequately and publicly funded – breaking from the global
policy of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and organizations
like USAID, which have pressed for increasing private sector investment.

While there is no evidence to show any benefits from privatization,
there is evidence that properly planned, publicly funded health care can
ensure universal coverage and is the best value for money spent, even in
low income countries.

The campaigners also highlight the need for WHO to accept and endorse
the findings of WHO's own Commission on Social Determinants of Health
that was launched in 2005, and to press member states to address social
inequalities rather than seek to alleviate the symptoms through narrowly
focused, often counter-productive, policies to "target the poor".

The newly designated global coordinator of the PHM, Bridget Lloyd said
"we are delighted to see that WHO is moving in the right direction in
the draft motion on social determinants to this year's assembly, but the
world's poorest people need even more radical and explicit commitment to
give them the right to health, that is why we are turning up the
pressure on WHO to add more strength to the motion".

  The pre-WHA workshop will be held in the Webster University in Geneva.