PHA-Exchange> 1st World Social Forrrum on Health Porto Alegre, Brasil, Jan 2005

[Claudio]

FIRST WORLD SOCIAL FORUM ON HEALTH
IV International Forum in Defense of the Peoples Health


Porto Alegre - Brasil, January 23-25, 2005


Background
Before the past three World Social Fora in Porto Alegre and Mumbai,
there had already been international fora dedicated to the defense of the
people's rights to health.
The main purpose of those initiatives was to call for action by the
social movements the world over around the theme of the universal right to
health and health care.
A progressive rally on this was held in Mumbai, with around 700
participants from 50 countries. The Mumbai Forum reinforced the idea approved in
Porto Alegre in 2003 where we had decided to organize this First World Social
Forum on Health with the purpose of organizing actions that set up alternative health system reform processes oriented towards the organization of national public health and social security systems.
The idea now is to carry out an in-depth analysis of the political situation regarding health process in each country, looking for a comprehensive people-centered approach that enhances the possibility of alternative projects with wide social and political support. But those alternative projects will have a lesser chance in the future if we do not go for
concerted international efforts in this area.

The First World Social Forum on Health will be held in Porto Alegre - Brasil from the January 23-25. 2005.


The main objectives of the Health Forum will be:
1- To share an in-depth analytical framework and perspective on
the current health and social security reforms, considering the role of
the different social actors working in favor or against the anti-neoliberal
processes shaping health care at present. This exercise is to give participants the full picture of possibilities of change in each country and to shape regional and global strategies.
2- To define the main characteristics of the health and social security alternatives should have in relation to concrete social and economic realities, always keeping in perspective the need to launch sustainable and equitable alternatives for health for all, NOW.
3- To propose concrete alternatives to counter the negative impact of free trade agreements in the fields of food, drugs, medical equipment and in the professional brain drain. Here, it will also be necessary to focus the debate around the intellectual property rights (TRIPS) status, particularly as TRIPS affect essential drugs and the  property of genetic material.
4- To set a shared social action agenda in the area of health in relation to how it is affected by the regional economic agreements such as the European Community, NAFTA,  MERCOSUR, the Andean Pact,  NEPAD,
CAFTA, CARICOM and others; includes discussing work towards setting up the bases for national health and social security systems with shared principles
for those economic integration pact regions.
5- To propose alternative processes for the management of human resources in health and for continuing education in health, defending the interests of labor unions, workers rights and wages and issues of workers' health protection and safety.
6- To propose different strategies and organization alternatives
for social mobilization process to fight-for and achieve the universal
right to health.
7- To prepare the debates about the right to health and the needed
restructuring of the health and social security systems by generating
background papers and proposals for the People;s Health Assembly II to
be held in Cuenca - Ecuador, in July  2005.

Work is under way to organize our First World Social Health Forum and
we need your help to promote a massive and representative participation
in Porto Alegre. We aim to create links between and within different countries
that can follow the meeting through the internet, proposing the names
of speakers and the themes that should be included in the program of the
Health Forum.
Our aim is to touch a wide range of social actors, social and
community movements, labor unions, peasants organizations, congressmen,
political parties and governments committed to the right to health, as well as
academics and intellectuals, NGO's, multilateral organizations and all
individuals that feel a commitment to this call for action.

Please contact us to discuss how you can be part of this event. We
would certainly hope to count you on the list of invited organizations and
individuals.

 Our expectation is to have around 1000 to 1500 participants.

Finally, from the moment you decide to engage on this Health Forum
aiming to create a World Health Agenda and Health and Social Security Reform
Alternatives, you will have more information directly from
 ceap at berthier.com.br and armandon at portoweb.com.br for details on the
program and other general information on the organization. You can email
diariodebordo at diariodebordo.tur.br for hotel reservation and travel
assistance.
 Get more information about lodging by consulting the home page of the
World Social Forum;  do it as soon as possible since it is already hard to
find places.

Registration can be done through the web site www.fsms.org.br till the
10thof January and the payment can be done at the moment of the Forum (U$D 7).


                                     Armando De Negri Filho

President of the International Society for Equity in Health and
People's Health Movement Member in Brazil
(On behalf of the Local and International Organizing Committees).

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