PHA-Exchange> REPORT TO PHM ON THE NICARAGUAN MEETING WITH PAHO

[Claudio]

From: "María Hamlin Zúniga" <maria at iphcglobal.org>
REPORT ON THE MEETING OF PAHO IN NICARAGUA,  MARCH 2004

During the week of March 8 - 12, 2004 the Pan American Health Organization -
PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization - WHO - held
meetings with the Country Representatives from the region.  The countries
represented were Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Panama, Dominican Republic, Belice, and Cuba.  The Country Representative
from Haiti was not present given that she is involved in the humanitarian
effort being carried out in that country.  (see
http://www.paho.org/English/DD/PED/haitisituation2004.htm )
Just for your information the Country Representative in Haiti is Dr. Lea
Guido who was the Nicaraguan Health Minister during the Sandinista
Revolution when Nicaragua was recognized by the WHO and Dr. Mahler as an
example of the successful implementation of the strategy of PHC.  (1983)

Presiding this meeting was Dr. Mirta Roses, the Director of PAHO,  Dr
Clarissa Etienne, Associate Director and the heads of the areas of PAHO and
major advisors from the Washington Headquarters.

Dr. Roses was presented with Doctora Honoris Causa from the Autonomous
University of Nicaragua in Leon, Nicaragua.  During her speech she
emphasized that during this year, the 25 Anniversary of the Alma Ata
Declaration, PAHO is working to emphasize the Commitments of Alma Ata, by
working with together with civil society to convert Health into the motor of
and pioneer in the commitment to the Millennium Goals set out by the United
Nations.

Dr. Roses was honored by the Government of Nicaragua, the Ministry of
Health, the University System, and by the Municipality of Managua.  There
were many important events during the week that recognized Dr. Roses for the
priority she has given to Nicaragua during the years that she was the
Assistant Director of PAHO.  She was also honored for her role as a woman
working for Primary Health Care in the Americas.

Dr. Roses invited me to participate in a series of events and meetings.  The
most important was my participation in a panel discussion with the UN family
in Nicaragua where I represented Civil Society Organizations.

During this session I reacted to several of the statements of the UN
Representatives, in particular those concerning the CAFTA or Central
American Free Trade Agreements.  I pointed out that International and
National NGO´s and health activists have been working closely with the
negotiators and the Ministry of Health to defend the Doha WTO position
concerning access to medicines.  The CAFTA provides for a TRIPS plus.  This
is fatal for our countries. However, that is another issue.

At this session I was able to present to the PAHO representatives several
documents including our new publication in Spanish on the history of Primary
Health Care in the Central American region.  I presented a printed document
with the pre PHAI documents from Central America and the People's Charter
for Health.   In addition I gave the representatives the Mumbai Declaration
in English.  This will be available in Spanish by March 23rd at the latest
and will be sent to the Secretariat for uploading to the website.

I announced that the PHA II will take place in Quito, Ecuador in July 2005
and specifically requested the collaboration of PAHO at the headquarters and
the country level.  There was considerable interest expressed and a
willingness to look for avenues of collaboration.  I requested that Dr.
Roses name a person or persons, at the PAHO Headquarters, to be a contact
for PHA II preparations.  This issue is pending.  She suggested that I
encourage everyone to contact their country representative and begin
developing working relationships as PHM.

A session was held with the Assistant Director, Dr. Clarissa F. Etienne,
Daniel López Acuña, Director of Program Management from PAHO Headquarters,
and  Dr. Philippe Lamy, Country Representative from Costa Rica,  about the
initiative in Nicaragua involving  MSF, International NGO´s, IPHC  and local
organizations regarding CAFTA and Access to Essential Medicines.  There is a
special working group in PAHO on Access to Essential Medicines that wishes
to work with Civil Society Organizations on the issue.  They have contacts
with MSF already, so we will make sure that this relationship be further
developed.

In other informal meetings I was able to establish several important links
with PAHO:
1.  The Strategic Alliances and Partnerships Area.  Dr. Philippe Lamy will
be transferred to this area very soon.  Most likely we will be able to have
a working relationship with people in this area in the future.
3.  There is a working group on Indigenous peoples, and they also propose to
work with us.  They are especially interested in the PHA II
4.  The area of PAHO monitoring the Millennium Goals will be making contact
with us as well.

Further meetings, similar to that in Managua,   are being held in other sub
regions of the Americas during the next few weeks.  The announcement of the
PHA II will be made in these meetings.

For the moment I will follow up on these contacts, but as soon as they are
established I will share the information with the PHM Steering Group and the
country contacts in the Americas.  This includes the US and Canada by the
way.

Maria Hamlin Zuniga, IPHC/PHM
19 March 2004