PHA-Exchange> Colombia National Health Congress

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POLITICAL DECLARATION                                Bogotá, October 6, 2001

We, the men and women who participated in the First National Congress for Health at the National University of Colombia, Bogotá campus, under the banner The right to health: a path towards peace, make the following statement to the nation:

The fact that this Congress brought together 2,120 people from all corners of our country, representing campesinos, women's movement, indigenous groups, health workers and workers from other fields, representatives of youth and retired people, health beneficiaries, students, scholars, health professionals and other specialists, public servants, and many representatives from the international community. This is strong evidence of the social mobilization in our country and the public demand for the State to truly guarantee the right to health.

During the Congress,  presentations  clearly demonstrated that heath is more than simply the absence of illness, but rather a positive and integral part of leading a fulfilling life.

We acknowledge the deep crisis existing in health care throughout the country's different regions and social sectors, which is reflected in the deterioration of living standards; the exclusion from services of huge groups due to socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, geographic and age factors; the collapse of the public hospital network, the weakening of public institutions to provide social security, the shameful loss of the public health component; death, illness and displacement as a result of the intensification of the war and increase of different forms of violence; and the misuse of public resources through the use of financial figureheads and corruption.

The Congress acknowledged that this crisis in health is related to the neo-liberal development model adopted by Colombia, which has locked health care and social security into a the framework of a market economy, removing the possibility of these being guaranteed as a right and leading to the kind of inequities and exclusions that are inherent in the market system.

On this order, the regional and sectoral organizations here gathered decided to adopt as guiding principles for a joint political agenda, health and social security as human rights and as public goods. This means that these rights should be acknowledged constitutionally and guaranteed by the State, while society and citizens organizations mobilize and take joint responsibility, through effective participation, to safeguard the fulfillment and protection of these rights fundamental to true democracy.

We also declare that the State has clearly abandoned the guarantees for a right to health, and that we need new forms of local, regional and national government in which communities play an active and majority role in the design, decision-making, and execution of health policies and in which public officials are socially and ethically committed to respond to the health needs of our people and create healthy conditions for life. 

We appreciate the contribution of the sister nations represented at our Congress who told us that in the case of Cuba and Spain, it has been possible to develop a government health policy that effectively guarantees and protects health as a human right for all people, and in the case of Brazil, local actions brought about the recognition of health as a public good.

As the eyes of the world are turned to this event, we take on the Colombian people's ethical duty in front of other nations, to show that our health and social security system must not be used as a model to be implemented in other countries, as that would imply increased exclusion, injustice, illness and death for those nations.

We have decided to move forward with organization and action plans to increase and strengthen the social movement for health, so that health may someday be guaranteed as a human right and protected as a public good. Therefore, taking advantage of the organization and mobilization generated with this Congress, we have decided to establish the National Movement for health and Social Security. We see this as a means to bring together and promote this initiative and to create a national body with regional, local and sectoral branches that can act as spokespersons for the health needs of the people and base their political actions on the concept of health as a human right and a public good.

With this in mind, the Congress calls on all social sectors, local regional, national, institutional, grassroots groups and citizens in general to adopt the conclusions of this Congress for Health and wave the banners of health as a fundamental human right, by joining the National Movement for Health and Social Security; together let us hold back the advance of illness and death, the indifference of the State and our government leaders, the silence and apathy of citizens, the war, displacement, the closure of public hospitals, the dehumanization of health care, and transform Colombia into a viable, healthy and prosperous nation.

The men and women gathered here commit ourselves to make the principals, strategies and actions brought forth in this Congress on Health a reality that will contribute to life, health and peace in our country. 

For health as a fundamental human right, social mobilization and strengthening of the National Movement for Health and Social Security!!!!

For a dignified, free and sovereign Colombia!!!!!!

The right to health, a path towards peace!!!!

Towards the Second National Congress on Health, action and mobilization!!!!!!!

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