This year – 2018 – marks 40 years since WHO and over 200 representatives of governments and international organizations committed themselves to Health for All. That promise – not yet fulfilled – laid the foundation for global action to improve health and well-being in the world’s poorest countries, now seen in UN initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For World Health Day 2018, the global community will reflect on the implications especially for Africa, including what has been achieved and what remains to done. On Monday, 9 April 2018, three organizations – APHRC, the People’s Health Movement (PHM) and the Advocacy Accelerator – hosted the East & Southern Africa regional World Health Day event.
The event included an examination of progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the region, the roles of civil society in advocating for UHC, and the regional book launch for Global Health Watch 5, an independent critique of global health produced by civil society. In an unequal world, conditions of living that promote ill-health and extreme inequity in access to healthcare services prevents a majority of the world’s population from leading healthy lives. The fragility of public health systems in many parts of the world and the rising commodification of healthcare in several regions, depict an inability to address the rising crisis in health. Accompanying these trends is a global order where governance for health is being captured by private foundations and corporations. This is the context that informs the contents of the fifth Global Health Watch (GHW 5) report.
The GHW 5 provides information and analysis embedded in a vision of the world and of human society that is more just, more equal and more humane. While the book covers a very large canvas, this edition has a particular focus on two areas: the recently announced Sustainable Development Goals; and the rapid transition on global governance for health from a nation driven process to one that promotes the influence of private foundations, consultancy firms and corporations.
World Health Day and Launch of Global Health Watch 5
PHM in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Ethiopia and Tanzania have partnered with the African Population & Health Research Center (APHRC), the Advocacy Accelerator and others in joining health advocates around the world to celebrate World Health Day with an event in Nairobi on 9th April 2018, including the launch of GHW 5. Since the early 2000s, PHM Global has produced the Global Health Watch series, with publications that articulate global health challenges to realizing the right to health, especially for the marginalized majority. Against this premise, we will commemorate World Heath Day by launching Global Health Watch 5, the latest publication in this series. The objectives of this meeting will be as follows:
- Celebrate World Health Day by articulating major impediments to realization of health, for action by government and stakeholders.
- Launch Global Health Watch 5, with findings highlighting the key challenges ailing healthcare systems globally and in developing countries.
- Provide a platform for high-level panel discussion of critical issues around achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the actions of civil society actors for health in East and Southern Africa.
Expected outcomes of the meeting
- Advancing the debate on universal health coverage
- Launch and dissemination of Global Health Watch 5, to influence and shape national and regional discourse on health rights challenges.
- Formation of a coalition of regional researchers, health professionals, advocates and activists to promote health for all in East & Southern Africa.
On social media, this event in Nairobi is linked to similar events for World Health Day in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas with hashtags #UHC #Health4All #HealthForAll #WorldHealthDay #GHW5. Follow @aphrc @PHMglobal and @StrongAdvocacy for more updates.
GHW5 was coordinated by the People’s Health Movement (PHM), Asociacion Latino-americana de Medicina Social (ALAMES), Health Poverty Action, Medico International, Third World Network (TWN) and Medact. To buy the book, visit: https://www.zedbooks.net/shop/book/global-health-watch-5/ , Copies can also be purchased from www.hesperian.org.
For more information, contact the following individuals:
APHRC Carol Gatura cgatura@aphrc.org and Ravi Ram rram@aphrc.org
PHM in East & Southern Africa – Dan Owalla (Nairobi, Kenya) danowalla@gmail.com and Linda Shure (Cape Town, SA) at linda@phmovement.org
Advocacy Accelerator: Wanjiku Kamau Wanjiku.Kamau@advocacyaccelerator.org
Global Health Watch 5: Gardena <gargeya.t@phmovement.org> and Amit Sengupta <asengupta@phmovement.org>.