PHA-Exchange> Futurer PHA Structure

[Dr Qasem Chowdhury]

Future PHA Structure (1)




PHA Secretariat, Savar
December 3rd 2001



Dear Friends of the People's Health Movement

We are very pleased to be able to share with you the agreed plan to enable 
the development and strengthening of the People's Health Movement. We 
believe that it provides the foundation for our People's Health Movement.

The proposals that were developed at a meeting in Savar in October have now 
benefited from wide consultation receiving many comments.  We have received 
many important contributions and wherever possible these have been 
incorporated.  We are very happy to say that all the comments we received 
were very positive about the new structure and comments focused on 
clarifying and strengthening the new structure.  Many people went on to 
suggest where and how they wanted to be involved and how to enable more 
people to be involved. The positive responses have been very inspiring.

Summary of the proposal

The structure will enable places and spaces for all who wish to be part of 
the People's Health Movement.  At the same time we believe that this will 
enable the People's Health Movement to be inclusive and transparent, 
democratic and open.  In summary, the proposal is to develop a series of 
linked circles.  These will be of two types.  First, Geographical Circles 
at national, regional and international levels.  Second, Working Circles 
for areas of work and activity of the People's Health Movement. These could 
range from policy and lobbying issues such as one bringing people and their 
organizations together to work on issues and lobbying related to PRSPs or 
Rational Drugs to the work of the movement through Publications or Popular 
Communications.  The circles and how they link are outlined in detail below.

Background

A year ago nearly 1,500 people from 93 countries came together in the 
Gonoshasthaya Kendra center at Savar to celebrate the first People's Health 
Assembly (PHA2000). This historic event was the result of a worldwide 
pre-assembly process involving tens of thousands of people.  Why?

In 1978 representatives of the world's governments committed themselves to 
Health for All by the year 2000.  The year 2000 came and the enormous 
distance that millions of women, men and children were away from that right 
was a terrible indictment of governments and international 
institutions.  It was, and is, also a clear and tragic expression of the 
unjust and unequal world that we live in today. The people and their 
organizations across the world that are building a People's Health Movement 
believe that this must change and that we must enable a movement to 
advocate for and pressure for health rights and generate credible 
people-centered alternatives to existing approaches to health.

Here we share with you: -
1.      The new structure for the People's Health Movement
2.      The timetable for the taking forward of the new structure

We believe that this new structure is crucial as we move towards developing 
a vibrant People's Health Movement. You are part of this movement and 
believe that the new structure will give a space and place for you and more 
people and their organizations to join together in the People's Health 
Movement.

Thank you

Yours sincerely





Dr. Qasem Chowdhury
PHA Co-ordinator




1.      THE CONTEXT FOR OUR PROPOSALS

BUILDING OF PHA2000

The People's Charter for Health
The People's Charter for Health that emerged at the end of the Peoples 
Health Assembly 2000 (PHA2000) at Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Savar, Bangladesh 
on 8th December 2000 is an important landmark, perhaps as significant as 
the Alma Ata Declaration. It is now an important instrument for advocating 
the Health for All - goal. Its significance has at least three if not more 
components:

Firstly, it arose out of a mobilization and preparatory process for the 
PHA2000which took place all over the world  culminating as a document that 
was ratified by nearly 1,500 members of Civil Society from 93 
countries.  It therefore represents the largest consensus document on the 
current health situation and the challenges.

Secondly, it provides both an analysis of problems and causes as well as 
'perspectives for action'.  Health is not just bio-medical but has an 
economic, political, socio-cultural and environmental dimension as well. It 
highlights the point that Health Action must involve action at all these 
levels so that the deeper determinants of health are tackled. It also 
challenges the vertical, top-down, market economy determined, programmes of 
'magic bullet' prescriptions as not being representative of comprehensive 
primary health care approach which was at the core of the means to achieve 
the Health for All goal.

Thirdly, the charter also emphasizes in a more indirect way that the 
mainstream of health  including health ministries and health departments of 
national governments, international agencies like WHO, UNICEF, World Bank 
and the corporates have conveniently largely ignored the Health for All 
goal and sidelined it.

Challenging the mainstream
The challenge for the Post  PHA2000 initiatives is therefore to bring back 
the People's Charter for Health into the mainstream of health action.  This 
can be done by advocating it in a strategy that challenges the mainstream 
to respond to it and integrate it within their evolving agenda.  So, 
advocating the People's Charter for Health actively, consistently, 
collectively in as many forums, meetings, workshops and also institutions, 
networks, at local, state, national regional and international levels 
should therefore be a primary concern till we get it into mainstream 
thinking on health.


PREPARATORY PHASE, WHICH WE ARE IN AT PRESENT

Building collective consensus
Building further collective consensus on People's Charter for Health within 
Civil Society should continue to be the first step in every country and 
region. The pre-PHA2000 mobilization phase took shape in different ways and 
at with different levels of intensity in different regions, and countries 
of the world.  Though 93 countries finally participated at the event, the 
participants