PHM-Exch> PHM press statement (WHA 2009, May 18): "Declare Global economic downturn a health emergency!"

Sun May 17 18:14:50 PDT 2009

There are around 10 members of the NHA organizing committee attending the WHA as
Thai delegates, some of them from civil society. U may want to talk with them.
Pls contact Dr. Tipicha at tipicha at nationalhealth.or.th.

Suwit

Quoting suwit at health.moph.go.th:

 The decision of the Thai government was related to the National Health
 Assembly
 resolution in December 2008 on the agenda of Financial Crisis and Health which
 call for the government to protect the budget for the UC and other essential
 health budget. All of them are well protected.

 The NHA is an annual assembly convened by the National Health Commission,
 chaired by the PM. The National Health Commission consist of 39 members, one
 third from political sides, national and local, one third from academic and
 professionals, and one third from civil society.

 I attached the resolution and the NH act for ur info.

 More infor can be accessed from their website at www.nationalhealth.or.th/eng/

 We have invited PHM to the last NHA, but noone was available, hope that this
 year there will be someone.

 Suwit

 Quoting jmukherjee at pih.org:

  So, let's move thousands of people into the streets...we ( a group of PHM ,
  HIV and MHC activists and others) are going to start working on this...18
  months from now, we want 100,000 people on the mall...

  Joia S. Mukherjee, MD, MPH

  Medical Director, Partners In Health

  Director, Institute for Health and Social Justice

  Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

  Division of Global Health Equity

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  800 Boylston St.

  Boston, MA 02199

  phone: +1 617-432-3735

  fax: +1 617-432-6045

  www.pih.org

  From: phm-exchange-bounces at phm.phmovement.org
  [mailto:phm-exchange-bounces at phm.phmovement.org] On Behalf Of Ted Schrecker
  Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 6:32 PM
  To: 'Claudio Schuftan'; 'pha-exchange'
  Subject: Re: PHM-Exch>PHM press statement (WHA 2009, May 18): "Declare Global
  economic downturn a health emergency!"

  Dear Colleagues,

  Although I could not agree more strongly with the substance of the communiqu้
  below, might I add a note of caution about the language of "demands"?

  Social movements are most effective in articulating their objectives as
  "demands" when they can bring tens/hundreds of thousands of people into the
  streets, or can exercise some analogously strong influence within the more
  rarefied context of multilateral fora such as WHA.  Can PHM realistically
  claim to be able to do this?  If not, then I suggest moderating the language,
  although not of course the underlying ethical argument.

  In solidarity,

  Ted Schrecker

  From: phm-exchange-bounces at phm.phmovement.org
  [mailto:phm-exchange-bounces at phm.phmovement.org] On Behalf Of Claudio
 Schuftan
  Sent: May 17, 2009 1:50 PM
  To: pha-exchange
  Subject: PHM-Exch> PHM press statement (WHA 2009, May 18): "Declare Global
  economic downturn a health emergency!"

  From: <unnikru at yahoo.com>
  and: secretariat at phmovement.org,

  For immediate circulation:

  Press Release: Geneva , 18 May, 2009

  "Declare Global economic downturn a health emergency!"

  "Economic Recession is a threat to the world's health"

  The People's Health Movement urges the World Health Organization and member
  governments to "declare the economic recession currently gripping the globe
 as
  a health emergency".

  Health activists gathered here in Geneva for the World Health Assembly (18-22
  May) are expected to lobby the UN health body and governments to declare
  global downturn a health emergency.

  People's Health Movement (PHM) is a global coalition of grass root health
  workers, health professionals, human rights, peace and social activists.

  "Recession is hitting the poor people hard and their health and survival"
 said
  a PHM spokesperson.

  "While it is too early to make a rigorous assessment, recession's potential
  impact on health is much greater than that of 'Swine flu', through impacts on
  poverty and social spending".

  "The current paradigm of 'development' has aggravated poverty and ill-health
  for the poor, especially in the global south", said Prof. David Sanders, a
  public health expert from South Africa . "The current financial crisis will
  worsen this", he said.

  "Donors need to place health needs of poor people at the centre of their
  response strategies" said Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury from Bangladesh . Dr.
  Chowdhury, a leading advocate for affordable health care for poor people from
  Bangladesh , urged donors to do a 'reality check' and shred what he alleged
  was their 'imperial attitude'.

  PHM warns that the financial crisis is likely to result in greater dependence
  of southern countries on donor assistance.

  Previous precedents indicate that the effects of the global crisis will be
  quickly felt by the poor, across the globe. Focussing on a few priority
  diseases will further amplify the health challenges for the poor people.

  Consider the facts:

  *	50 million workers may lose jobs if the economic crisis worsens, warns the
  International Labour Organization.
  *	The UN and all its agencies and funds spend about $20 billion each year or
  about $3 for each person in the world. In contrast, Global military
  expenditure in 2007 was US $ 1339 billion or about US $202 for each person in
  the world.
  *	Over 1 billion people across the globe go hungry every day. One in five
  people in developing countries is chronically undernourished

  *	Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes - one
 child
  every five seconds.

  *	The crisis undermines human rights. UN Human Rights Council expressed
 "grave
  concern" that the crises threatens to undermine the achievement of the
  internationally agreed development goals including the Millennium Development
  Goals.

  "The loss of livelihoods, impending cutbacks in welfare spending and
  intensified food crisis for the world's poor is going to result in a
  significant increase in avoidable deaths around the world" said Dr. Amit
  Sengupta, a leading health analyst from India . In India , 80 percent of
  expenditure on healthcare is through out-of-pocket payments.

  Loss of jobs or income could leave a vast majority of these unable to pay for
  their treatment.

  "It is time to shift gears. The current situation demonstrates the need for a
  new world health order and a new approach to development", said David
  Woodward, a development economist from the United Kingdom . It is essential
  that poor people are put at the centre of this new order, he said. Typically
  those in poor, developing countries are likely to suffer the most.

  The PHM demands immediate measures by the international community and
  individual governments:

  a)      To ensure adequate resources made available to revitalise public
  health systems. Pay urgent attention to the needs of the poor rather than the
  revival of failed big commercial banks.

  b)      To allocate funds for the restoration of jobs and livelihood
  opportunities in low income communities.

  c)      To strengthen social welfare programs in developing countries and for
  homeless and unemployed people in developed countries, and not to use the
  economic crisis downturn as an excuse to cut funds of welfare related
  programmes.

  Bridget Lloyd, Global co-ordinator: People's Health Movement.

  For media enquiries: E-mail: secretariat at phmovement.org
  <http://uk.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=secretariat@phmovement.org>  /
  media at phmovement.org
  <http://uk.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=media@phmovement.org>   Mobile
 :
  +41 76 753 2979

 *********************************
 Dr. Suwit  Wibulpolprasert
 Senior Advisor on Disease Control
 Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

 5th Floor, Building 1,
 Office of Permanent Secretary
 Ministry of Public Health
 Tiwanond Road,
 Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
 Tel. (66-2) 5901122, 5901113
 Fax. (66-2) 5918513
 Mobile: (66-81) 8236517
 Email: suwit at health.moph.go.th

*********************************
Dr. Suwit  Wibulpolprasert
Senior Advisor on Disease Control
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

5th Floor, Building 1,
Office of Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Public Health
Tiwanond Road,
Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Tel. (66-2) 5901122, 5901113
Fax. (66-2) 5918513
Mobile: (66-81) 8236517
Email: suwit at health.moph.go.th