PHA-Exch> PHM, WHA and Geneva Forum May 2008: report

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: prem_john at vsnl.net <prem_john at vsnl.net>

For PHM, Geneva had three distinct phases - 1. Pre-WHA, 2. WHA and 3. Post
WHA.

1. Pre-WHA -  the 18th of May seminar went off well, was reasonably
attended, even if ALL were fellow travellers, the inputs by the presenters
and the reactions from the participants were more than satisfactory. PHM was
highly profiled.

For consideration: PHM's presence was limited to seven or eight people and
everyone who was there is in tune with PHM.  Next year and after that,
perhaps more active pre-WHA work that is mainly sponsord by PHM should be
planned and needs not to be limited to one day. If we are spending so much
to bring people in, we must get the most out of it/them.

2. WHA - We should have much more structured and strategically planned
interventions into the WHA process. Making people's voices  heard at the
highest decision making levels should be our priority, but intervening /
moderating / suitably modifying the "official voices" should also be in our
sights. This means:

A. working closely with TWN, WCC and our own PHM Geneva circle from NOW
onwards. If we are serious about the task of intervention (EC, DG'soffice
etc.,) we should start now, state our priorities, our advocacy points and
plan strategies.

B. Such an early start would also give us the opportunity of working on
country delegations from now onwards - the Ministers of Health, the
Directors General, the Secretaries for Heath and such and provide specific
inputs, considered opinions, literature, evidence and such so that they are
adequately reasonably "informed" of civil society worries before coming to
Geneva in 2009.

C. This would also mean preparing appropriate literature (PHM has some of
the best in its ranks for this task), making brochures, booklets etc., (for
example on trade treaties and their effect on health) in order to 'educate'
the powers that be. TWN and WCC are capable of providing the thrust areas
and strategic points of intervention.

3. Post WHA -  as PHM we must meet  after WHA to debrief, see what were the
successes, the lacunae etc., of our initiatives and interventions in order
to prepare for the next year. To be reasonably accountable, we need to make
our strategic plan for the next WHA at this juncture, leaving of course the
road to flexibility open.

*The Geneva Health Forum* - Good publicity, good cross section of
participants, but questionable whether PHM shouild be
officially involved. Worried the Forum was sponsored  officially
by corporations we are uncomfortable with. For example, IAPMA, the
pharmaceutical manufacturers' group was given the opportunity of saying what
great benefits the industry has provided to Africa and to the selfless
eradication of guinea worm, Malaria etc. But in the same session,  David
Sanders gave a graphic account of the African health debacle. Conference
organizers argue that hundreds of Africans received travelships to attend
from tose sponsorships.  Even with the opportunity given to PHM to highly
profile itself, we should consider this situation carefully before again
engaging with the forum.
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