PHM-Exch> Exposing think tanks' deception campaigns (2).....add the UN in the action !

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: arun gupta arun at ibfanasia.org


Fully agreeing with the posting by PHM S. Africa, and making an additional
point to bring in UN organisations and examine conflicts of interests.

With the Bolivian call for a new climate change conference , the author
concludes by saying: "We hope that this unique format will help shift power
back to the people, which is where it needs to be on this critical issue for
all humanity. We don't expect agreement on everything, but at least we can
start to discuss openly and sincerely in a way that didn't happen in
Copenhagen", time has come that such actions became the norm, giving power
to people to decide.

Please find time to read the ensuing comment that comes from UNICEF;  below
is another comment made by a UNICEF person at a GAVI meeting, the statement
is on Norad's web site.....

Using immunization as a platform, more integrated packages including
> insecticide-treated nets, vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets, have
> also increasingly been delivered through integrated campaigns,  child health
> days or during the routine visit. With this in mind  UNICEF's Saad Houry
> made the following important remarks during the  fourth Global Immunization
> Meetings in New York:
>
> "Looking forward, the large scale introduction of pneumococcal and
> rotavirus vaccines in developing countries will provide us with an historic
> opportunity to address two of the most important causes of mortality in
> children under 5 - pneumonia and diarrhea - in a comprehensive way. [...] By
> introducing these new vaccines as part of  a comprehensive package of
> services and strengthening community-based systems, we will maximize their
> impact on MDG 4, and do so in a sustainable way."
>


Now taking from what the phm-exch posting said about think tanks, should we
also include investigating UN actions? Why?, todays' comment in the Lancet
is an example of a push for vaccines to reach MDG4 ...and we will see this
going on to 2015 or may be more (if we get another MDG 2020 target). Why
would they leave out water, sanitation and breastfeeding in the development
agenda of  nations and focus only on vaccines...? Not even ORT is
highlighted which comes closer to role of Breastfeeding in saving babies
under five. Who knows why this is happening? Is there an industry interest
behind it? Is there a proof needed to say so? How was the decision made to
actively push for vaccines instead? GAVI meetings are dominated by industry
and the PPP; the model they push in the health and development agenda is the
root cause of such problems. If we can look for conflicts of interests in
any policy decision, it should be challenged. But a declaration of conflicts
of interests is not enough...

With this , I would request everyone to be involved in finding out where the
conflict of interests is, whether these are also behaving as the think tanks
you ask to unmask, i.e., UN  and other international agencies .....
International Baby Food Action Network(IBFAN) Asia.
INDIA
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