PHM-Exch> People’s Health Movement statement regarding the upcoming World Health Summit in Berlin

[Claudio Schuftan]

 *People’s Health Movement statement regarding the World Health Summit: *

*The People’s Health Movement (PHM)1, as a world-wide civil society network,
has a series of concerns about the World Health Summit (WHS) which is being
planned as an annual event. According to the announcement of the first WHS
(Berlin- October 2009), the summit will "address those health related issues
which challenge us as physicians, scientists, political leaders and those
employed in the health care industry" in response to "urgent questions
arising from world-wide demographic trends, the financing of medical
progress and innovation, the understanding of the potentials of medical
research and health economy, and to emerging medical issues. Among these are
health-related consequences of climate change. " *

*The PHM is concerned that although the summit speaks of participation of
nongovernmental organisations (NGO’s), the costs ranging between 290 – 490
Euro for NGO’s will exclude those that could legitimately reflect the voices
and needs of grassroots and marginalised communities. The summit is also by
invitation only, which suggests that NGO participation will be hand-picked
and limited. *

*PHM believes that, rather than creating a parallel policy forum, efforts
and resources should be spent strengthening the World Health Organization
(WHO) as the international coordinating body for issues related to people's
health. WHO is one of the United Nation organizations in which each country
has a voice. The WHA thus provides a reasonably democratic decision making
process, despite mechanisms used by powerful member states to direct the
decisions. We are concerned that the declaration of the World Health Summit
is likely to preferentially represent the interests of the Global North,
corporations and those who financially sponsor the Summit. *

*The announcement and the program of the first WHS does not acknowledge
recent or current health related initiatives and processes undertaken at the
global level, which can potentially have a positive impact on people’s
health. The website indicates that the Summit will, at best, play lip
service to the importance of the social determinants of health and gives the
impression that medical advances in individual care have been responsible
for improvements in life expectancy rather than improvements in daily living
conditions and more  equal distribution of power. This is despite the fact
that WHO received and endorsed at the 2009 World Health Assembly the report
of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health
http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/en/index.html
 *

*Globally, there were many events held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of
Alma Ata during 2008. Globally, regionally and within countries hosting
these events there has been an important recommitment to the principles of
the Alma Ata declaration. *

*In 2008, in reaffirming the commitment to the Alma Ata Declaration, WHO
made primary health care the focus of the World Health Report. The report
was titled “Primary Health Care – Now more than ever”.
http://www.who.int/whr/2008/en/  *

**

*In May 2009, the 62nd World Health Assembly passed two resolutions which
continue to reflect this trend. The resolutions were: Primary health care
and health system strengthening; and Social Determinants of Health. *

*In light of the above, the PHM raises specific concerns: *

*- The theme, aims, focus and structure of the planned meeting: We are in
agreement with the summit’s statement that “health is a fundamental human
right”; however we note with concern the prominence of large pharmaceuticals
& other corporate partners. This seems counter to the statement above. The
profit motive that characterizes the corporate sector results in at best,
human rights being secondary and at worst being violated, with negative
consequences for health. The programme on the website suggests the WHS will
be promoting the private health industry. *

*- By nature of its structure, with representation from countries around the
world, WHO is accountable to the countries represented, and through this to
the low and middle income countries. We are concerned that the WHS has given
the private health industry such a central role in the planned Summit. The
private health industry is primarily accountable to its shareholders and as
such, is driven by profit. It cannot be given a place at the centre of
global health decision-making – this clearly is a conflict of interest. The
marginalisation of the WHO over the last number of years and the growth in
power of new and often unaccountable actors in global health
decision-making, has not been to the benefit of many poor countries. The PHM
believes that global efforts to improve health should be invested in
strengthening the WHO as well as country governments and their community
organisations, rather than creating new initiatives with the potential to
undermine the role of WHO and its member states in global health governance.
*

* *

*The People’s Health Movement believes that such a decision-making process
for global health through the planned industry-dominated annual summit could
be counterproductive to achieving Health for All and can, in fact, have a
negative impact on people’s health. We urge the World Health Organisation,
the Lancet and other organisations listed, as well as the “M8 Alliance”
(academics, universities and health centres), to exercise caution and
consider the concerns we raise earlier before engaging with the WHS. *

*Finally, the PHM is concerned about the high profiling of the planned
summit through having it convened under the High Patronage of two of the
world leaders. We kindly request Ms. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy to provide their
support to assist the WHO to honour its constitution and be provided with
the resources required to be the leading body co-ordinating global efforts
to improve people’s health. *

*Prof Fran Baum and Dr Prem John *

*Co-chairs, Steering Council *
*People’s Health Movement*

1: The PHM is a global network of people’s and non-governmental
organizations, academic institutions and a wide range of civil society
networks and social movements. The PHM was launched following the first
People’s Health Assembly convened in December 2000 in Bangladesh.
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