PHA-Exchange> Re: GHW 2- Bretton Woods and Health

[ctddsf]

Dear David,

I think this would be an excellent initiative. I am possibly jumping the gun
but I wonder if it is possible to merge the GHW project with the one you
propose on the Bretton Woods institutions. What I am basically suggesting is
that the GHW project works towards GHW-2 in 2007 and a report on the
Bank/IMF for 2006. We can think of the GHW as a publication that comes out
every 2 years while the Bank/IMF watch is published every year.

This is a very preliminary reaction -- this could possible be discussed
further at the GHW meeting in London.

In solidarity,

Amit Sen Gupta
PHM-India

At 05:28 PM 8/19/05 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear friends,
>
>At the London launch of the Global Health Watch, there was a further
>expression of interest and support from the Bretton Woods Project - they
>were instrumental in writing the chapter on the World Bank and IMF.
>
>After some initial discussion, it was proposed that we engage with the
>broader community of NGOs that are working on the Bank and IMF to
>explore the possibility of further and more detailed work to assess,
>analyse and campaign against the impact of the Bank on health - and in
>particular on health care systems. Another area we thought would be
>useful to do some research on is on the relationship between the Bank
>and WHO
>
>Pasted below is a short discussion document on this idea. Your thoughts
>and comments on this would be great.  
>
>David
>
>
>
>Dear IFI Watch community,
>
>Last month saw the launch of the first alternative world health report
>(Global Health Watch) - written from an explicitly political and
>anti-neoliberal perspective, and discussing issues that can't be touched
>upon in the official world health reports. It was coordinated by the
>Peoples Health Movement, Medact and GEGA (www.ghwatch.org), but involved
>more than 70 different organizations across the world. 
>
>The report includes a chapter intended to inform the broader health
>community about the Bank and IMF, and why they are so (negatively)
>important to health.
>
>We would like to press on with further analysis and monitoring of the
>role of the Bank and IMF on health, and in particular on health care
>systems. The aim is to continue to inform the broader public health
>community, strengthen the mandate of the WHO to protect health and bring
>the weight of the public health community to bear upon the broader
>campaigning aims for the reform of the IFI institutions. 
>
>We are writing to ask if there may be research and analysis conducted by
>the IFI-Watch community that could be used for this purpose. 
>
>We also feel that the impact of the Bank and IMF on health care is a
>neglected area of research and policy analysis, and one that funders can
>be persuaded to support. 
>
>Suggestions of how this research could feed into outputs include: 
>.	The production of a dedicated report on the World Bank and IMF
>(possibly entitled, "WB and IMF - public health threats or friends?)"
>that could be released to coincide with the release of the official
>World Health Report or the WDR (attached is a suggested outline of what
>such a report could look like); 
>.	the basis for a chapter in GHW 2 (to be published in 2007) 
>
>This research and analysis would strengthen the health community's
>ability to effectively campaign for strengthened health care systems
>etc. In addition, this is an opportunity to support the general work of
>campaigning organizations that are part of IFI Watch. Funders may also
>be attracted to the idea of strengthening links between civil society
>NGOs campaigning on the IFIs and civil society NGOs campaigning on
>health.
>
>We are writing to canvas opinion on this idea and to specifically ask if
>anyone is interested in working on this project with the idea of
>developing a funding proposal and research plan, commissioning or
>conducting the research, and working with the GHW team to produce the
>outputs suggested above.
>
>
>Many thanks
>
>
>David McCoy
>On behalf of the GHW team
>
>
>
> 
>Suggested outline of a short booklet - The World Bank and IMF: Public
>health threats or friends?
>
>
>Chapter topics (chapters: 2 - 5000 words each)
>
>
>1. Introduction to WB and IMF (re-cap of what is in GHW1)
>
>2.	An overview of the Bank's health sector grants and loans 
>
>3. The Bank and IMF and health systems development
>
>- To what extent is the Bank pursuing a neoliberal health sector reform
>package - implemented through grant conditionalities and PRSPs? 
>
>- Critical issue of IMF ceilings on public sector wages.
>
>4.	The BWIs and health determinants 
>
>- One chapter highlighting the impact of the BWIs on the broader
>determinants of health - e.g. water privatization, land reform etc? 
>
>5.	The BWIs and WHO
>
>- An analysis of the relationship between BWIs and WHO. 
>
>6.	Recommendations and demands to:
>.	WB and IMF
>.	WHO
>.	Ministries of Health in developing countries
>.	Health professional associations and other citizens in the main
>donor countries of the WB and IMF
>.	Rich country governments
>
>
>
>
>---
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>



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