PHA-Exchange> "War on health is killing the dream of Health for all": WHO being Geneva, May 16th, 2003) (PHM-C)

[UNNIKRISHNAN PV (Dr)]

For immediate distribution (local media).                                         For media enquiries, please call Geneva:(M)  +41 78 876 5437

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  People's Health Movement 
URGENT                                          PRESS RELEASE 
War on health is killing the dream of "Health for all"
Geneva, May 16th, 2003: 25 years since the historic promise by the WHO and the international community to ensure "health for all", the idea is a distant dream. Wars, along with conflicts and the military establishment, have become one of the key hindrances in making the dream of health for all a reality. 

People's Health Movement (PHM) is holding a parallel process to the upcoming World Health Assembly that is expected to begin at Geneva, next week. PHM came down heavily on the failure of the WHO to protect the health rights and meet the health needs of the war affected in Iraq.

People's Health Movement is a people-oriented global initiative that evolved out of the People's Health Assembly (PHA), a historic summit that was held in December 2000 in Bangladesh. Over 1453 participants from 92 countries met for the PHA that was the culmination of 18 months of preparatory action around the globe. 

Testimonies of grass roots health workers and medical professionals working in humanitarian agencies give a chilling account of the disastrous impacts of the wars and conflicts on the lives of civilians in general and their health in particular. Research concludes that wars have reversed the limited developments that were achieved in the field of health. 

"The humanity is not able to cope with the devastating impacts of the depleted uranium weapons that were used on Iraq and Kuwait. Generations will pay a heavy price for reasons they were not responsible for" said Dr. Rosalie Bertell, a well-known international expert on radiation and militarisation. "Unfortunately Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan are not cases in isolation," she said. 

"Firstly, wars and conflicts destroy the health systems. Secondly, health is not a central theme while post-war rebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction work happens. Humanitarian agencies and health movements need to work together to ensure synergy," testified Dr.Unnikrishnan PV of PHM and International People's Health Council who was in Iraq recently. Wars along with its fallouts have killed over 750,000 children in Iraq between 1991 and 1997 and destroyed the health infrastructure. The recent war in Iraq has amplified the suffering of Iraqi children and people.
Political insensitivity and absence of resources have made the plight of millions of refugees, internally displaced people and civilians a continuing nightmare.Their health is one of the worst affected and there has been a sharp decline in the quality of assistance and their health status. 

"What illegal occupation has done in the Palestinian territory is to kill the dream of health for all. Occupation today ensures hell for all" said Dr.Ghassan Hamdan, a spokesperson for the Union of Palestinian Medical Commissions (UPMRC). UPMRC has been a lifeline for the millions of Palestinians caught in the unending crossfire. There has been an increased incidence of deaths and deliveries happening at checkpoints because Israeli forces denied access to hospitals. 

"Spending on public health has been falling. Even the available limited resources are cleverly and increasingly diverted to a new privatisation process deceptively called as private-public partnership. The trend of US forces to occupy more and more countries will further amplify the military expenditure at the cost of health and other social sectors. This is an assault on the poor and this trend must be reversed," said Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury of Gonoshsthaya Kendra, Bangladesh. It is estimated that the global annual military expenditure is more than US $ 780 billion per year. The UN agencies estimate that US $ 11 billion will help to fetch safe drinking water and basic sanitation for the people of the developing world.

"PHM as a people-based mass movement has been putting efforts to address the issue of war and conflicts. Efforts will be put to amplify the efforts at the grass roots level as well as in international forums," said Dr. Ravi Narayan, co-coordinator for the PHM secretariat.

"PHM is picking energy in Switzerland," said Ms. Garance Upham, the president of the newly formed PHM-Geneva International (PHM-GI), the local body of the PHM. PHM-GI, because of its strategic positioning at Geneva, the seat for WHO and several UN organisations, is expected to play a major role in PHM's advocacy and lobbying efforts. 

While demanding the WHO to be more pro-active, assertive and sensitive to the health needs of war-hit people, PHM calls for synergy between antiwar movements, peace groups and humanitarian agencies.

"Today, the attack is on Earth and Nature- the foundations of life and humanity. This has already resulted in irreversible damages that will last for generations to come. This assault must be stopped" added Dr. Rosalie Bertell.   

At a time when disturbing reports continue to pour in from Iraq about the deteriorating health of the civilians and internally displaced people, PHM places five key demands on the international community:                                                       

1.      Stop the wars. Respect International Humanitarian Laws. 

2.      Stop the occupation of Iraq, Palestine and other places. Let the local people decide their future.  "We urge the US, UK and Israel to show the courage to withdraw from occupied countries and territories and thus lead a genuine, lasting and just peace process".

3.      Give health a central role in the rebuilding efforts. Governments and humanitarian agencies that dominate the initial rebuilding process need to be more imaginative and sensitive to short term medical needs as well as long term health needs.

4.      Put an immediate end to all research programmes that are being carried out to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Possession as well as use of WMD is one of the greatest threats to public health. Irrespective of the economic status, no country can legitimise the development and preservation of WMD.

5.      Give health a chance. Divert the precious resources wasted for military and defence expenditure to public health programmes.

People's Charter for Health, the guiding spirit of the PHM is the largest consensus document on health. "Wars, violence, conflict and natural disasters devastate communities and destroy human dignity. They have a severe impact on the physical and mental health of their members, especially women and children. Increased arms procurement and an aggressive and corrupt international arms trade undermine social, political and economic stability and the allocation of resources to the social sector," says the People's Charter for Health.

Dr. Ravi Narayan                                        Ms. Garance Upham             

Co-ordinator, PHM Secretariat                    President, PHM- Geneva International.

For media enquiries, please call: May 15th till May 24th

Geneva: Local mobile: 078- 876 5437 (dial +41 78 876 5437  from abroad) 

France : Mobile : +33 660 839 448 

For PHM media enquiries (permanent contacts) :

India: Dr. Unnikrishnan PV , +91 (0) 98450 91319     :   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 )    


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHM Secretariat:  CHC, # 367, Jakkasandra 1st Main, 1st Block, Koramangala, 
Bangalore - 560 034 India.     Tel.: 91-80-5128 009 / Telefax: 91-80-552 53 72    

E-mail: secretariat at phmovement.org Website: http://www.phmovement.org                                  

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Message forwarded by:
 
Dr. Unnikrishnan PV , India
E-mail: unnikru at vsnl.com; Ph (m): +91 (0) 98450 91319 (from May 14th till May 28th, contact Geneva: +41 78 876 5437 )


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20030517/31d8d5fa/attachment-0001.html>