PHA-Exchange> " TIME TO DO A REALITY CHECK and ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE POOR"- Press Release from People's Health Movement (Porto alegre, Brazil : 18th January 2003)

Sun Jan 19 18:23:55 PST 2003

 PRESS RELEASE                                URGENT                                                                                                            

"TIME TO DO A REALITY CHECK and ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE POOR" -  PEOPLE'S HEALTH MOVEMENT and  INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE'S HEALTH COUNCIL to urge the candidates for the WHO DG's post during a live public debate.

Porto Alegre (Brazil), Bangalore (India) & Geneva ; 18th January 2003:  "It is time to do a reality check and address the health needs of the poor" is the key message from the People's Health Movement  (PHM) and the International People's Health Council (IPHC) to the candidates for the top UN health job in the world- the Director General of the World Health Organization. 

Thousands of people from various walks of life -like health workers, health activists and policy makers- from all over the world are expected to participate in an unique public dialogue with candidates for the post of the Director General of the World Health Organization, first such event organised by leading civil society organizations. The candidates for this heavy weight UN post includes the Prime Minister of Mozambique, health minister of Mexico, head of a UN organization, top medical professionals and others.  

"This is a unique opportunity for health ministers, civil society organizations and others with an interest in health to ask candidates to address publicly the critical issues in global health today", said Andrew Chetley, Director of Exchange - a networking and learning programme that promotes effective health communication.

PHM, IPHC and a broad coalition involving more than 300 civil society organizations have linked up to co-sponsor this event that will take place from 14.00 to 16.00 GMT on 19th January 2003. Interactive Health Network's World Health Channel is the organizer of this event with financial assistance coming from the UK-based Exchange programme and the Geneva-based NGO (non-governmental organization) Forum for Health.

The WHO Executive Board meets the week following this crucial debate. The Board will nominate a single candidate for approval by vote of all the WHO's 192 member states at its assembly in May 2003.

This public debate attains importance when serious questions are being raised about the sense of direction of the World Health Organization. A section of the civil society members argue that WHO, the top UN organization dealing with health has miserably failed to address the health needs of the poor. In a recent communication, PHM and IPHC reminded WHO that every 24 hours over 30,000 children die world wide from preventable diseases. 

"If WHO, UNICEF, other UN organizations and the governments could revive the concept and strategies of Alma Ata, most (if not all) of these deaths could be prevented and health for all could be made a reality' said Maria Hamlin Zuniga of PHM and IPHC. Alma Ata declaration of 1978 is a historic promise by the WHO that promised health for all by 2000. 

PHM and IPHC delegates are assembled at Porto Alegre, Brazil for the second Health Forum to be held on 20th and 21st January 2003 timed just before the 3rd World Social Forum (22nd to 28th, January 2003). Participants are expected to deliberate the negative impact of globalisation and neo-liberal policies on health and the right of all people to health.  

The videoconference will be broadcast on the Internet - log into www.ihn.info to either listen (low bandwidth) or view (high bandwidth) the event. A facility on the website will enable people to e-mail questions directly to the event in Geneva. The videoconference will also be broadcast globally via the WorldSpace satellite system - a unique technology that allows access to areas of the world with no Internet access or telecommunications infrastructure and will be rebroadcast throughout Brazil by Canal Saude.

The candidates will be asked a series of questions from audiences in Geneva and around the world. International links will include the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine and the Medical Research Council in South Africa, the World Bank Institute and the George Washington University in the USA, Canal Saude (Health Channel) in Brazil, and health experts in Ethiopia, India, Japan and Sweden. 

Maria Hamlin Zuniga                                      Dr. Hugo Icu Peren

People's Health Movement                         International People's Health Council

For media enquiries :

Porto Alegre, Brazil (19th till 28th Jan2003): Dr. Unnikrishnan PV 

Ph (M): +55  51811 64082      (E-mail: unnikru at yahoo.com) 

London: Andrew Chetley, London : +44 20 7539 1591         chetley.a at healthlink.org.uk

Thailand: Satya Sivaraman (E-mail: satyasagar at yahoo.com)    

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PHM Secretariat: Gonoshasthaya Kendra, PO Mirzanagar, 1344 Savar, BANGLADESH.                                         Tel: 880-2-770 8316; fax: 880-2-770 8317 email: gksavar at citechco.net  :   www.phmovement.org 

IPHC : Apartado # -6152, Managua, Nicaragua (telfax; (505) 266 2225                                                                         E-mail: info at iphcglobal.org  :  www.iphcglobal.org                                

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