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

Mon May 18 05:20:20 PDT 2009

I agree, we need to speak as loudly and clearly as possible.

In Tanzania, government statements on the planned response to the global financial crisis have emphasised that resource allocations to infrastructure will not be reduced -- with the clear implication that resource allocations to social services will be reduced. In contrast, feminist and health activists and others are using every opportunity to argue that resources need to be increased to social services and social protection, while taking direct action to protect as well as enhance the sustainable livelihoods of women and men in both rural and urban areas.

Marjorie Mbilinyi
Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP)

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: jmukherjee at pih.org 
  To: tschrecker at sympatico.ca ; cschuftan at phmovement.org ; phm-exchange at phm.phmovement.org 
  Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 1:42 AM
  Subject: Re: PHM-Exch> PHM press statement (WHA 2009,May 18): "Declare Global economic downturn a health emergency!"

  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 communiqué 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: 

          a.. 50 million workers may lose jobs if the economic crisis worsens, warns the International Labour Organization. 
          b.. 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. 
          c.. Over 1 billion people across the globe go hungry every day. One in five people in developing countries is chronically undernourished 

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

          a.. 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 /  media at phmovement.org  Mobile : +41 76 753 2979

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