PHM-Exch> [PHM NEWS] Watching WHO's 71st World Health Assembly in May 2018

Tue Feb 27 04:57:44 PST 2018

*Watching** WHO's 71st World Health Assembly in May 2018*

*Call for Watchers!*

The People's Health Movement is preparing for watching the 71st meeting of
the World Health Assembly (WHA-71) taking place from 21st  to 26thMay 2018
in Geneva, Switzerland.

PHM believes that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is the legitimate
space for global health policy making. Through the WHO Watch initiative,
PHM intervenes in the discussion of WHO's key decisions making bodies and
brings the voice of the movements struggling for Health for All to the
forefront. In addition, we use this opportunity to organise a capacity
building workshop for activists interested in the politics of global health
governance. To know more about PHM's WHO Watch Initiative, see *a video
here* or *click here*, or visit our website *here*.

*Joining the Watch team*

We are in the early stages of putting together the Watch. We hope to get
watchers from around the world involved, consult with country circles on
key issues, and develop a comprehensive commentary on issues on the agenda
of the 71st World Health Assembly, which will be available online before
the commencement of the WHA.

Consultations will be carried out to include inputs from around the world
to the *PHM commentary* on key issues. This consultation will guide which
issues are focused on in the commentary and at WHA meetings.

The week before the meeting, the watchers meet in Geneva during a *preparatory
workshop* to prepare together the positions that PHM will be taking at the
WHA and discuss issues of global health. This workshop is also open to
activists interested in the politics of global health governance, even if
you are not able to stay for the WHA.

During the meeting, we will have a *skype channel *open where the key
points of the discussions will be shared.

A team of watchers will be present at the WHA and will engage with the
issues addressed at the meeting by disseminating *policy briefs* and
makes *statements
from the floor*.

This is an opportunity for country circles to present their points of view
at the WHA meetings, widen their networks and approaches to issues, as well
as build internal capacity.

Some items on this year’s WHA agenda are:

·         WHO reform implementation

·         WHO response in severe, large-scale emergencies

·         Implementation of International Health Regulations (2005)

·         Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework

·         Eradication of polio & Polio Transition planning

·         Global vaccine action plan

·         NCDs: UN General Assembly 2018

·         Addressing Global shortage of, and access to, medicines and
vaccines

·         Public health, innovation and intellectual property

·         Progress towards sustainable development goals

·         Safeguarding against possible conflicts of interests in nutrition
programmes

·         Improving access to assistive technology

·         Health, environment and climate change

The WHO will release documents with more information on each item as the
meeting approaches *here*.  However, if you find any of the items on the
agenda of special importance or can offer information on the topic now, if
you would like to be added to the skype channel or just know more
about WHO Watch, let us know! You can write to Susana at
<sbarria[at]*phmovement.org
<http://phmovement.org>*> and Gargeya at <gargeya.t[at]*phmovement.org
<http://phmovement.org>*>

*Can you attend the WHA71 Meeting?*

Through Medicus Mundi International, watchers are able to attend the WHA/EB
meeting, distribute PHM’s commentary, advocate our position to country
delegates, and deliver statements from the floor to the meeting body.

We are looking for people who are involved with PHM country circles to
attend the preparatory workshop and WHA71 meeting in Geneva. If you are
keen in developing your knowledge on issues discussed at the meeting, and
to be involved in strengthening the work around these issues in your
country or region after the meeting, please let us know. Good English
writing skills are necessary as you will have to take notes live in English
and all the documents will be written in English. As the work is intense,
being able to work under some pressure and still provide support to your
co-watchers will be a great advantage. It will be necessary for you to
carry a laptop with you. It is also important for the process if watchers
are there for the full period of the meetings, including a preparatory
workshop the week before the WHA. But you can also opt for attending only
the preparatory workshop

*Time table: World Health Assembly- May, 2018*

·*Arrival:** Monday 14th May*

·Preparatory Workshop: 15th to 19th May

·WHA: 21st to 26th May

·*Departure:** 27th May*

*Arrival*

*Workshop*

*WHA watch*

*Departure*

*14th May*

*15th to 19th May*

*21st  to 26th  May*

*27th May *

*If you are interested to participate to the WHA70 please fill the form *
*here*, before *4th March 2018*. Please do note that only a small number of
watchers (1 or 2) will be able to join from each region due to the team
being small (10-12 watchers in total).
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