*
*
*What’s happening in Africa? *
*Share your News!!*
*November 2012*
There are a number of growing and active People’s Health Movement
(PHM<http://www.phmovement.org/>)
country circles in Africa linked to the various PHM programmes that are in
place. Country circles and interest has grown in at least 20 African
countries with membership ranging from interested individuals, loose
networks and PHM circles with organised committees. Country circles have
had to operate in challenging environments dealing with advocacy and
activism around the right to health, national health insurance, high
maternal deaths, hunger and drought, war and conflict, high prevalence of
HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, violations of patient’s rights, lack of water
and sanitation, poor policy implementation, effects of climate change,
decreasing funding and broadly social determinants of health.
In this brief we share some highlights of PHM activities and activities
happening in Africa. Please feel to contribute in the next monthly brief so
that we can add more activities.
*1. **PHM meetings and activities*
*Uganda***
PHM Uganda held its monthly meeting on the 8th of November 2012 organised
to evaluate PHM Uganda in 2012 and discuss a strategy for 2013. The group
is also involved in the One Week in December Campaign organised by Reach a
Hand. For more information on Ugandan activities you can contact Lydia
Aballa on ablyd055 at yahoo.co.uk or Denis Bukenya on denisbukenya at gmail.com.
*Kenya***
PHM Kenya held a meeting on the 28th of November 2012 organised to discuss
PHM Kenya activities as well as coordination of work within PHM East
Africa. If you are interested in PHM Kenya you can contact Omondi Otieno or
Ravi Ram on eomondi at acvkenya.org or ram at jhu.edu.
*PHM West and Central Africa*
The PHM West and Central Africa group developed a concept note for
participation in the Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals development
agenda. If this is successful, the group intends to have consultations in
the region to develop a common position.
* *
*Post PHA3- Growth of PHM in Africa* **
*Zambia***
Post PHA3, representatives from Zambia have organised several initiatives
to build PHM in Zambia. The group faces several challenges in bringing
people together but they are determined. If you are interested in joining
PHM Zambia, you can contact Sarah Ngoma on ngoma.sarah at gmail.com or Banza
Chela on banzachela at gmail.com
*Burundi***
Post PHA3, representatives from Burundi, through the Health Healing Network
Burundi have organised several meetings to build PHM. A PHM Burundi
standing committee has been put in place to drive the process. Some
representatives of PHM Burundi attended the 5th African Congress on
Hypertension and the 6th Seminar on Hypertension, organized by the HIS
(International Hypertension Society), Douala, Cameroon, 24 – 27 October
2012 (see attached PDF from PHM Burundi on PHM Africa Google group).
*2. **Other activities happening in the region*
-The *Southern and Eastern Africa Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS and
Reproductive Health Rights for Sustainable Development (SEYCOHAIDS) 2012,
was held in Lilongwe, Malawi, from the 6th to 8 November 2012*, on the
theme: Building Capacity for AIDS and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights
through Science, Technology and Best Practices. Read the communiqué on this
link
http://www.phmafrica.blogspot.com/2012/12/communique-on-seycohaids-conference.html
*-Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) held its 19th National Meeting
from the 22nd to 23 November 2012 in Zimbabwe*. It was as a platform to
review national health issues of concern and progress in the CWGH
districts. A slot was allocated for PHM to present the Call to Action
developed at the third People’s Health Assembly. CWGH website www.cwgh.co.zw
-Economic Justice Network of FOCCISA organised a *Regional Civil Society
Workshop on Exposing and Addressing Tax Avoidance and Evasion in the
Extractive Sector: Working Towards a Common Strategy.* It was held in
Johannesburg, *South Africa** from 29 -30 November 2012*. This is important
as we look at one of PHM’s campaign issues on extractive industries. Email
contact: admin at ejn.org.za Website: http://www.ejn.org.za/
*-The sixty-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa took
place from 19 to 23 November 2012 in the Republic of Angola.* The Regional
Committee, comprising health ministers from 46 Member States, is the
Governing Body of WHO in the African Region. Its purpose is to set policy
and approve the budget and programme of the work of WHO in the Region. 62nd
WHO AFRO meeting <http://www.afro.who.int/en/sixty-second-session.html> .
As a region (Africa) we have had made several attempts to get accreditation
and participate but this has been in vain. There is however positive
feedback from partners to participate through their membership. It is
however a concern that there seems to be tight of control of civil society
participation in these meetings. *PHM is involved in the WHO Watch process
with the purpose of building PHM’s capacity to monitor WHO including World
Health Assembly, Executive Board, Regional Committees and various special
purpose processes.* The focus is currently on ‘watching’ and providing
critical support to the World Health organisation. WHO is the paramount
health authority at the global level and needs to be strengthened and
reformed and properly funded to play this role. WHO Watch seeks to generate
support for a reformed WHO restored to its proper place in global health
governance. (Read more on www.ghwatch.org/who-watch).
The several components of the WHO watch include
• ‘Watching’ which includes: documentation, analysis and advocacy as
appropriate at the various governing body meetings and liaison and
collaboration with WHO country representatives;
• Liaison with national representatives before their participation at the
WHA, EB and the regional committee meetings;
• Maintenance and development of WHO Watch website(
www.ghwatch.org/who-watch) providing accessible, high value policy analysis
and a portal to other relevant resources
• Collaboration with other civil society organisations who are involved in
health-relevant watching in relation to WHO and other international
organisations;
The WHO Executive Board meeting will be taking place 21-29 January 2013 in
Geneva. As country circles we need to familiarise ourselves with the agenda
items and the backgrounds to each item and to analyse the issues at stake,
in particular, from the perspective of the Charter, as well as think about
advocacy priorities. The address of the WHO Watch EB132 Agenda Site is
http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_eb132.html .
*3. **Opportunities to get involved in *
Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Various countries are involved
in these consultations. We would like to encourage whenever possible, to
participate in these Post-2015 MDG consultations. See link
http://www.worldwewant2015.org/health. For Example, Ghana is one of the
countries in which UN supported consultations will be held and PHM Ghana is
keenly waiting to contribute to the health thematic consultation.
*4. **Future Activities*
Coordinated launch of the Global Health Watch 3 in East Africa
*5. **Communication and Publications/articles*
· Tanzania: a. *Civil Society’s role in new Tanzania constitution
identified*. and b. *Civil Society call for referendum on Union before new
law.* Source: The foundation for Civil Society. Articles shared by Mussa
Tanu from PHM Tanzania in Zanzibar. See link on PHM Africa blog: CSO's role
in new Tanzania constitution
<http://phmafrica.blogspot.com/2012/12/csos-role-in-new-tanzania-constitution.html>
and CSO's call for referendum on Union before new
law-Tanzania<cshttp://phmafrica.blogspot.com/2012/12/csos-call-for-referendum-on-union.html>
· PHM country circle can create their own country page on the PHM
website www.phmovement.org. The country page you will create allows you
to post news directly on the global website and as such can reach a wider
public within the movement. The PHM Global secretariat is here to assist
and you can liaise with Anneleen on Anneleen at phmovement.org for more
information.
*6. **Useful Links*
PHM Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peoples-Health-Movement/228820500472434?ref=hl
AIDSPAN facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aidspan/186934957997421?fref=ts
***
Please feel to contribute to the monthly PHM Africa brief. You can share
your news, activities, etc to linda at phmovement.org or
africalearningspace at gmail.com
*Health for All Now!!!*
*www.phmovement.org*
*www.phmafrica.blogspot.com *
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