PHA-Exch> European conference to challenge marketisation of health care, Coventry June 17-20

[Claudio Schuftan]

 CONDITION CRITICAL:   *HEALTH CARE, MARKETISING,  **REFORMS AND THE MEDIA *

>   A conference called by the International Association of Health Policy in
> Europe (IAHPE) with the support of Coventry University's School of Art and
> Design and Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
>
>  *Wednesday - Saturday June 17-20, 2009 *
>
> *Coventry University, UK *
>
>  Also supported by the People's Health Movement, the International Journal
> of Health Services, the Politics of Health Group, the NHS Consultants
> Association, and Keep Our NHS Public
>
>  Invited speakers include
>
> Professor David Hunter, University of Durham
>
> Professor Allyson Pollock, Centre for International Public Health Policy,
> University of Edinburgh
>
> Dr Julian Tudor Hart (author of The political economy of health care)
>
> Professor Hans Ulrich Deppe, Frankfurt
>
> Professor Alexis Benos, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki
>
> (IAHPE President)
>
> Dr John Lister, Coventry University
>
> Physicians for a National Health Program (USA)
>
>
>
> *Conference Invitation and Call for Papers *
>
>  It's our pleasure to invite you to submit a paper and attend the XVth
> conference of the International Association of Health Policy in Europe
> (IAHPE), to be held in Coventry University, June
>
> 17-20 2009.
>
> We welcome abstracts for research papers case studies and posters relating
> the current situation and policy reforms in the health care sector, and the
> way these are reported in the print and broadcast media. The conference will
> address six main themes.
>
> ·         THE IMPACT OF THE CREDIT CRUNCH
>
> ·         PRIMARY CARE
>
> ·         ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE
>
> ·         PUBLIC HEALTH
>
> ·         MEDIA COVERAGE OF HEALTH AND HEALTH POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC RIGHT
> TO KNOW
>
> ·         ELDERLY CARE & MENTAL HEALTH: MARKETS v EQUITY
>
>
>
> *Conference context *
>
>
>
> The last twelve months has seen an escalating crisis of capitalism, with
> major banks and corporations reduced to seeking colossal subsidies from
> governments to secure their survival: and even the most unlikely governments
> are resorting to nationalisation to prop up banks and businesses.
>
> With the "market system" having effectively collapsed in many sectors, who
> now can really argue that markets provide a rational or equitable framework
> to deliver and allocate health care?
>
>
>
> The economic crisis and the "credit crunch" are already triggering a
> squeeze on public sector spending: but the policies being rolled out in
> health care systems in Europe and around the world are not economy measures
> to cut costs, but much more expensive, wasteful and bureaucratic than the
> systems they replace.
>
> Throughout Europe, governments are pressing ahead with so-called "reforms"
> which threaten to undo decades of progress towards universal health care,
> and return health services to the status of commodities in a competitive
> market place.
>
> A new, parasitic, private sector which could not survive, let alone
> flourish on the basis of genuine competition and market forces, is taking
> shape and growing – as a result of huge government patronage and public
> funding.
>
>
>
> The new health care "market" which is increasingly replacing any form of
> planning is not centred on equity or universal access to care: its bottom
> line is grabbing a larger share of the public sector and social insurance
> budgets, to deliver larger profits to shareholders. can this type of system
> benefit patients, or develop a service that can attract and retain the
> dedicated workforce that is needed to meet health needs in the 21st century?
>
>
>
>
> And as governments push through policies and develop new health care
> systems which are more expensive, less efficient and far less popular then
> the previous systems, they seek to do so covertly, without explaining their
> proposals or their long-term plans to the electorate.
>
>
>
> How effectively are the print and broadcast media revealing and explaining
> these policies? How far are newspaper, radio and TV bosses willing to
> resource serious news coverage or open debate, and how far do they share the
> hidden agenda of privatisation and marketisation of health care?
>
>
>
> This conference aims to bring together academics and students, campaigners,
> health professionals and journalists from across Europe to discuss the state
> our health services are in, the trajectory of present policies, the implicit
> threat of privatisation which hangs over our health services – and the
> extent to which these issues are known and understood by journalists and
> their audience.
>
>
>
> *CALL FOR PAPERS *
>
>
>
> We invite academics, students, journalists, campaigners and health workers
> to submit abstracts for papers or posters on topics related to any of the
> six main themes. Abstracts should be not more than 200 words, identifying
> which theme the paper will address, and accompanied by a brief note on the
> author(s), and their academic or professional affiliation.
>
> Abstracts should be submitted for peer-review online by midnight on Monday
> March 2  at www.healthp.org
>
>
>
> Authors will be notified by the Conference Review Committee whether or not
> their proposals have been accepted for presentation at the conference, or as
> a poster, by Friday April 3.
>
> Acceptance of papers is contingent upon the author registering for the
> conference, and presenting their work in person at the conference in
> Coventry.
>
>
>
> Completed papers received by June 5 will be printed in the collected
> conference papers.
>
>
>
> How to register and submit an abstract
>
>
>
> *PLEASE REGISTER and SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT* for the conference via the
> IAHPE website www.healthp.org/abstracts
>
>
>
> During the submission process, in the "Authors & affiliation" section do
> not forget to include your e-mail address so we can contact you.
>
>
>
> *REGISTRATION: what's included *
>
>  Registration fee includes conference admission and conference pack, a
> welcome reception, lunches on Thursday and Friday, with refreshments morning
> and afternoon, and a Friday night conference dinner. Hotel accommodation is
> NOT included, but delegates may claim a special discounted rate at the
> nearby Ramada hotel (see back page).
>
>
>
> *CONFERENCE FEES: *
>
>
>
> * People from EU countries, the US and Canada: £120 (register before April
> 1), £150 (late registration)
>
> * People from other countries: £60 (register before April 1), £75 (late
> registration)
>
> * Postgraduate students: £50
>
> * All Coventry University students, and all undergraduate students: £20.
>
> Pay registration online at www.healthp.org, or by cheque (payable to
> Public Service Insight) posted to:
>
> John Lister, c/o Media & Communication, Coventry University,
>
> Priory St, Coventry CV1 5FB.
>
> Don't forget to enclose full contact details if you pay by cheque.
>
>
>
> Full details and updates on www.healthp.org
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20090122/237cfff6/attachment-0001.html>