PHA-Exch> Alternative world health report calls for radical change - GHW2 launch 16 October

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Bridget Lloyd bridget at hst.org.za

**

*Alternative world health report calls for radical change*

*Global Health Watch 2: launch 16th October *

 Civil society organizations and scientists from around the world are
calling for 'a new development paradigm' to address the toxic combination of
climate change, growing poverty and inequality and poor health.

 The new report, Global Health Watch 2, says that unfair social and economic
policies combined with bad politics are to blame for the poor state of the
health of millions of people in the
world[1]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&view=page&name=gp&ver=sh3fib53pgpk#11cfb3e06b397f84__ftn1>.
The report makes stinging criticisms of key global actors, including the
World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation. The
report calls on governments to stop the Bank from meddling in health
politics.

 Global Health Watch 2 provides examples of civil society mobilization
across the world for more equitable health care and more health promotion,
although more is needed to bring about significant improvements in health.

 The report reveals widespread unease about the immense but unaccountable
power and influence of the Gates Foundation.  It says that although the
Gates Foundation has injected vast sums of money into global health, it
operates in an undemocratic way and reinforces a medical-technical approach.


 Among other issues it highlights is the pressure exerted on the World
Health Organization by powerful and vested interests that would prefer WHO's
activities and programme to have a more biomedical and less political focus.

 Global Health Watch
2[2]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&view=page&name=gp&ver=sh3fib53pgpk#11cfb3e06b397f84__ftn2>will
be launched in London on 16
th October, followed by launches in around 20 other countries.

 The first edition of Global Health Watch, published in 2005, was hailed for
its ground-breaking analysis and mobilising call to action.

 Marion Birch, director of the London-based charity, Medact:

* "Priorities set by the rich world damage the health of people thousands of
miles away.  Funding for water and sanitation is falling while slum-dwellers
in Lagos pay up to 40 times as much for water as residents in downtown New
York. Oil extraction in the Niger Delta generates billions of dollars of
revenue but local communities lack basic health care." *

* *Amit Sengupta of the People's Health Movement in India:

*"The World Bank's job is to help transfer resources from richer to poor
countries and it should act accordingly. Its impact on the health systems of
poor countries has been largely negative.  Internationally, it has also
contributed to the uncoordinated circus of health sector policy-making that
makes it difficult for Ministries of Health to function".*

 Martin Drewry, director of the charity Health Unlimited:

*"The majority world does not want charity – it wants a fairer political and
economic system. It needs fewer billionaires; not more. While it is great
that Bill Gates is willing to donate his money towards improving health in
Africa, he would do far better campaigning for more effective tax systems
both nationally and internationally".*

For further information, or for a summary of Global Health Watch 2, contact
Lisa O'Shea on 0207 840 3754/ l.oshea at healthunlimited.org

For press copies or publicity information, please contact Ruvani de Silva at
Zed Books on 020 7837 8466 or ruvani.de_silva at zedbooks.net. To order copies,
please contact the Zed sales team on 020 7837 4014 or email
sales at zedbooks.net.

* *

*Note to editors: *Global Health Watch 2 will be launched on Thursday
October 16, 4.45 - 6.15 pm, at the Wilkins Jeremy Bentham Meeting Room, Main
Building UCL, Gower Street, London.

 **

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[1]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&view=page&name=gp&ver=sh3fib53pgpk#11cfb3e06b397f84__ftnref1>Global
Health Watch 2 reinforces and extends the conclusion of the
Commission on the Social Determinants of Health that the state of global
health results from "poor social policies and programmes, unfair economic
arrangements, and bad politics".

[2]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&view=page&name=gp&ver=sh3fib53pgpk#11cfb3e06b397f84__ftnref2>Global
Health Watch 2 is a civil society alternative to the WHO's World
Health Report.  It was coordinated by the People's Health Movement, the
Global Equity Gauge Alliance and Medact with input from 80 organisations and
more than 130 individuals.
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