PHA-Exchange> PHM Secretariat July Communication - I

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

 from PHM-Secretariat <secretariat at phmovement.org> -----
    Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 14:31:46 +0530


 Dear 
Friends,                                                                       
               Communication - I, July 2005

 

Greetings from PHM Secretariat (Global)!

 

It is nearly 6 months since our steering / support group meeting a Mumbai and 
we send you a brief update on all the follow up of the decisions and actions 
planned / suggested at that meeting (Refer to the minutes circulated in April 
2004, since we follow that chronology of decisions in this update).

 

We shall focus only on organizational issues and global initiatives. WE 
REQUEST ALL THE REGIONAL FOCAL POINTS AND NETWORK REPRESENTATIVES TO SEND A 
SHORT SIX MONTH UPDATE (JANUARY To JUNE 2004) as well. Some of you sent me a 
few months ago. Those who did so can update the same note, now till end of 
June and circulate it on the PHM Steering yahoo group in a spirit of 
decentralization.

 

  1.. International Health Forum / World Social Forum (January 2004)
·          An updated final programme was uploaded on the website and a 
concerted effort to get copies of all the papers and presentations has been 
made. 

·          The proceedings and most of the workshop reports have been received 
and will be uploaded on the website shortly (communications at phmovement.org)

·          All those who had applied for travel support have been finally 
reimbursed. There were delays in receiving the promised grants from various 
agencies and some problems about the modes and nature of transfer to different 
regions.

·          Andy has done an excellent job and we shall soon circulate a 
complete account of IHF - WSF event in a spirit of transparency to acknowledge 
all those who raised and to endorse the fact that miraculously we just about 
made it.

·          A short proforma was sent to all the participants by email 
requesting feedback on the programe, process and suggestions for improvement. 
Quite a few have been received and are being compiled. If you have not already 
sent your form, please do so as soon as possible. A checklist will soon be 
available to us to help plan the future events such as this, even better.

 

  2.. Networks  
    1.. TWN: The Third World Network is providing a special issue of 
Resurgence on HIV / AIDS issue for the Bangkok conference. 
    2.. WGNRR: The Women's Access to Health Care campaign was launched 28th 
May 2004. Many PHM participants supported the campaign. 
    3.. IPHC: IPHC has recently undergone an external evaluation and is 
currently evolving / planning the next phase including the support to PHM 
activities. 
    4.. DHF: Olle has supported the GHW launch and the funding group meetings 
in London. The special issue of Development Dialogue was delayed due to 
unavoidable reasons, but will now evolve in the next few months. 
    5.. ACHAN: Some activities to enhance participation of ACHAN contacts in 
PHM are underway. 
    6.. GK: GK has continued as PHM resource center and brought out News brief 
12 and the Mumbai Declaration as an inset, which was released at the WHA, May 
2005. Some publications have also been reprinted. 
    7.. CI: Some link ups with PHM was possible at WHA May 2004. A closer 
involvement being negotiated. 
    8.. HAI - AP: Facilitated PHM participation in CMH Dialogue in South Asia 
region and has hosted some meetings with active PHM participation. Also linked 
in with PHM at WHA May 2004. 
  3.. Organizational Overview and Assessment: 
·          Delen visited Indonesia to facilitate further the evolution of PHM 
in that country (report awaited)

·          We have still not been successful in getting focal points in China 
region and West Africa (any suggestions are welcome).

·          In South Asia, there has been a revival of the PHM Spirit in 
Pakistan and Ravi (PHM Secretariat) and Dr. Ekbal (Chairperson, JSA India) 
have been invited for a week's - 4 city lecture tour in Pakistan from 5th July.

·          The India region has been very active in organizing and 
facilitating the Right to Health Care campaign at State and National levels 
and in preparing for the 'Denial of Health Care' public hearing in the region 
and national level in coordination with the National Human Rights Commission 
from July - December 2004 (Abhay Shukla - cehatpun at vsnl.com).

·          A series of meetings (7th - 15th June) in Durban - Equinet - GEGA - 
ISEqH and others gave an opportunity for PHM Africa network and mobilization 
(report awaited).

·          A team of PHM representatives from different parts of the world 
visited Australia to attend the Health Promotion Conference in Melbourne and 
then had a series of meetings at the universities and with NGOs / communities 
organized by PHM Australia which were very successful. (see separate report).

·          There have been organizational meetings in Middle East, Europe, 
North America and Latin America and further reports are awaited.

·          Mauritius (mscmu at yahoo.co.in) is hosting an Alma Ata Anniversary 
meeting from 31st July to 1st August 2004; Iran (Dr. Mohd. Ali Barzgar - 
m_barzgar at hotmail.com) is planning a similar anniversary meeting in Teheran in 
October 2004; Events are being planned in Germany in December 2004 (Andreas 
Wulf - wulf at medico.de).

 

  4.. Country Level Circles: 
We request all steering group members to check the website and review the list 
of country contacts in their region. There are many countries in each region 
that still don't have even a contact point, country regional focal points and 
network representatives, please identify and suggest names of resource people, 
who could be requested to start the process of circle formation so that we 
have contact points in every country before PHA - II? We will need them to 
start a mobilization process fairly soon.

 

  5.. Secretariat Communication: 
After the interactive discussion at Mumbai, email communication within and 
without PHM have increased and become more responsive. The secretariat gets a 
large response to all its communication and also has been more efficient in 
responding to the increasing volume of mail.

 

  6.. Issue Based Circles:   
    1.. WHO - WHA Circle: Over 30 PHM participants from 14 countries attended 
the World Health Assembly in May 2004. PHM coordinated its advocacy efforts 
with other fraternal groups - HAI, CI, IBFAN, INFACT, SCF - UK, and others. 
Three press releases were made covering Primary Health Care; HIV / AIDS and 
the War. Contacts were (a more detailed report follows) made with medical 
students (IFMSA); Scouts (World Scouting Movement), who are keen to join 
Health campaigns and many other newer networks. Dialogue with the WHO 
continued at different levels WHO involved PHM in the Biregional meeting 
(SEARO - WPRO) for the planning meeting of the Mexico Health Research Summit; 
in the CMH dialogue in the SEARO region at Colombo; in the Health Systems Task 
Force; and more recently in the brainstorming around the Commission for the 
Social Determinants of Health Systems Research priorities held in Durban on 
12th June 2004 (secretariat at phmovement.org).  
    2.. The HIV - AIDS Circle: 
 The HIV / AIDS circle has been activised since the IHF - WSF, when a dialogue 
with WHO and other groups was begin on the 3x5 initiative. A statement on 
behalf of PHM was made at the NGO Forum session at WHA this May and will 
become the framework of concern for the ongoing dialogue (chc at sochara.org).

A process towards evolving a People's Charter for HIV / AIDS to amplify the 
voices of people infected and affected by HIV / AIDS was initiated by Unni 
through an e-group discussion. A draft charter was given wide publicity during 
the World Health Assembly. A final Charter incorporating all the suggestions 
will now be released at the International AIDS Conference in July in Bangkok 
(11th - 16th July) at a special, satellite symposium allotted to PHM by the 
organizers on 12th July. The Charter will also be presented at the parallel 
Global village get together on 13th July. An Asian People's Alliance for 
combating HIV / AIDS (APACHA) is also being formed at an informal 
brainstorming in Bangkok on 9th July. A parallel session on MDGs and HIV / 
AIDS is also being planned (Unnikrishnan - unnikru at yahoo.com).

 

    3.. The Research Circle: 
A paper on the role of CSOs in Research has been written by David Sanders and 
some others and sent to BMJ for publication.

A civil society dialogue on Health Systems Research priorities from a civil 
society, perspective was held in Durban on 12th June 2004 and facilitated by 
David and others.

A civil society and research session has now been included in the 
Interministrial Global Research Summit in Mexico in November 2004 and PHM has 
requested to facilitate it (David Sanders - lmartin at uwc.ac.za).

 

    4.. Macro-economics and Health: 
Mike, Bala and others put together a short critique of CMH report and 
circulated it at the Colombo dialogue, which SEARO organized with NGOs and 
health ministry persons and a dialogue continued (Mike Rowson  - 
mikerowson at medact.org, Bala - bala at haiap.org)

 

    5.. Public Private Partnership: 
Jose Utrera (Wemos is coordinating an inter country study on Global Public 
Private Partnership and their experience. A planning study was held in Kenya 
hosted by CIN.

At WHA this year a core group of researchers of this study met many programme 
officers in WHO to dialogue around concerns and side effects. The first 
booklet of a series being produced by the study was released in May 2004 
(jose.utrera at wemos.nl). 

 

  7.. Shift of Secretariat in 2005:  
A letter about the dynamics of the shift of the secretariat to another region 
some time in 2005, has been sent to a core group (Prem, Sarah, Jihad and 
Lanny) and will be sent to all the steering group members as soon as they give 
their approval. Some regions have begun to discuss options and possibilities 
of hosting the secretariat already.

 

  8.. PHM Evaluation: 
The PHM Evaluation report entitled 'Keeping the Promise: The People's response 
to health for All' was just received and circulated this week. It covers the 
process that led to the PHA, the Assembly itself and the development of the 
movement till early 2004. It has 96 pages of interesting reading - report and 
appendices. So please read it and send your endorsement / suggestions so that 
we can release the final report for wider circulation 
(chetley.a at healthlink.org.uk).

 

  9.. PHM consolidated Strategy and Budget (2005 - 2007): 
Over two meetings in London (OWA) in May 2003 and May 2004, a project proposal 
entitled Health Rights for All - Building the People's Health Movement with a 
budget estimate for the 3-year period, 2005 - 2007, has been completed and 
submitted to Dutch government. A complimentary proposal focussing on the Asia 
region is being submitted to DFID from the Asia Regional Poverty Fund. The 
proposals are rather cumbersome and vary with the protocols of each 
government. A shorter integrated note of the main objectives, activities and 
indication will be circulated shortly. 

Since January 2003, the PHM secretariat hosted in India has used a 'Friends 
and Neighbors Policy' for fund raising, which is approaching various agencies 
who are convinced of the availability of PHM as a process, for small grants 
and donations for specific events and activities and simultaneously 
encouraging regions to find their own funds. This policy has been risky but 
good for more decentralized movement formations.

The Evaluation report has noted its relative success "The concept of PHM 
participants bringing their own contribution to the table to enable things to 
happen, rather than looking to PHM (particularly the secretariat) as a source 
of resources is beginning to be internalized. This focus on contributions is 
one of the key indicators in determining the strength of a network or a 
movement.

A Statement for 2003 - 2004 and an interim budget for 2004 till December has 
prepared and sent to funding group. It will be circulated after the audits are 
over. 

A separate project proposal for PHA - II and GHW as larger initiatives are 
available with Maria (maria at iphcglobal.org) and Patricia 
(patriciamorton at medact.org). We urgently need support with fund raising, 
especially for PHA - II. So any one with skills / contacts in this area, 
please get in touch with Maria, Patricia and the secretariat at the earliest. 

  10.. People's Health Assembly - II (Cuenca, Ecuador) 
PHA - II will take place in Cuenca from 19th - 23rd July 2005. The first 
announcement and pamphlet have been circulated and available on the website.

A call for volunteers to help with the organization logistics, programme, fund 
raising has been circulated.

A National (Ecuadorian), a Regional (Latin American) and an International core 
organizing committee have evolved.

Please be in touch urgently with Maria (maria at iphcglobal.org)  and Arturo 
(aquizhpe at yahoo.com) to ensure that your support to the event and to the 
mobilization in your region, that is urgently required, can be started off at 
the earliest.

 

  11.. International Health Forum - IV, Porto Alegre - Brazil (21st to 23rd 
January 2005):
 

The IHF - IV planning process has also just begin. At Durban last month, 
Armando and a group of PHM members brainstormed and evolved a framework to 
ensure that IHF - 4 was complementary to PHA - II, especially since it was in 
the same region and six months apart. IHF is an event in which PHM is a 
partner and PHA - II is an event in which we are the hosts. Please be in touch 
with Armando (armandon at portoweb.com.br) to ensure this complementarity and to 
support the event and the mobilization as well.

 

  12.. The Global Health Equity Watch Report: 
The GHW report, also subtitled 'The Alternative World Health Report' was 
launched as a process in March 2004 as a collaborative project of Medact, GEGA 
and PHM.

 

·        The process of identifying the advisory group, the authors of the 
framework of the chapters, the elements of the process till the report and the 
advocacy after its release are going on actively. Please be in touch with 
Patricia (patriciamorton at medact.org) and / or Dave McCoy 
(David.McCoy at lshtm.ac.uk) for further details and a copy of the pamphlet for 
wider circulation.

·        The GHW Report will be the background material for PHA - II, but 
regional and country PHMs circles can also plan country reports, adaptations, 
translations and other publications for release at pre - PHA II country / 
regional meetings or at PHA - II.

 

  13.. The Bilingual Challenge: 
With the concerted shift of focus of PHM activities in 2005 to Latin America, 
with IHF - 4 in Brazil in January 2005 and PHA - II in Ecuador in July 2005, 
PHM faces a very real challenge to transcend the language barriers and be 
bilingual even multilingual. At the last WHA, we contacted the International 
Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) now in 90 countries and 
the World Scouts Federation (now increasingly involved in Health campaigns) to 
consider providing bilingual medicos and senior scouts and raves to help the 
events as required. If you are fluent in English / Spanish or Portuguese, 
please volunteer to help PHM in this challenge - of translations at different 
levels of the process - organizational, communications, website etc. Contact 
Maria / Armando / Arturo if you wish to help in this area. 

  14.. Advocacy and Dialogue with WHO. 
·        Advocacy at HQ level already covered in WHO - WHA circle.

·        However, we request steering group members to contact WHO regional 
and country officers and advocacy with the People's Charter for Health at 
those levels. Some breakthrough are evolving.

·        WHO - EMRO is supporting PHM- Middle East participants for the Iran 
Alma Ata Anniversary.

·        PAHO has been very supportive of all PHM activities in the region and 
will probably be supporting PHA - II as well.

·        SEARO sent its Health Advisor to the IHF - WSF event and he has been 
in touch since then.

·        Perhaps there are others we do not know about. Do keep us informed.

 

  15.. The Million Signature Campaign: 
This campaign is still progressing slowly and surely towards the Million 
Signature goal. Please continue to mobilize for it with both e-friendly and e-
marginalised groups and help to start more language versions. Be in touch with 
Unnikrishnan (uunikru at yahoo.com)

 

  16.. The People's Charter for Health: 
·        We have now received over 45 language editions, most of it on the 
website already.

·        The latest additions were Guarani (Paraguay) and Hausa (Africa), 
Creole and Bhojpuri versions will be released at the Mauritius Alma Ata 
Anniversary at the end of July.

·        Please continue to translate these into more and more local languages 
and keep in close touch with Pam (pamzinkin at gn.apc.org), who is in charge of 
tracking and supporting these translations initiative.

 

There are lots of little events / initiatives from here and there which as the 
secretariat we are privy to but this communication is already far too long.

 

Hope it inspires you to get moving on behalf of PHM, if you are not already 
actively doing that in your region. Keep us posted of all that is happening 
out there.

 

Best wishes

 

PHM Secretariat Team. 

 

 

People's Health Movement Secretariat(global)
CHC-Bangalore
#367 "Srinivasa Nilaya"
Jakkasandra 1st Main, I Block Koramangala
Bangalore-560034, India
Tel: +91 80 51280009 (direct) Fax: +91 80 25525372
Website: www.phmovement.org
Join the "Health for all, NOW" campaign in the 25th anniversary year of the 
Alma Ata declaration visit www.TheMillionSignatureCampaign.org

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