PHM-Exch> Tributes to David Sandres

[Claudio Schuftan]

*Tribute to David Sanders: An African giant has gone*



Death has torn from the loves of his family, the people?s health and

anti-globalization movement, a baobab creating as results a big emptiness.

Tribute to a unique and irreplaceable African who dedicated his life to

helping others.

We are speechless to express our gratitude to this faithful friend, this

guide that made us hope and believe in people?s health, and who has always

been present and committed by our side until his last breath.

We can individually and collectively be proud of one of our intrepid

companions. His struggles, David led them with a characteristic firm

conviction and openness. He was one of the pioneers of the struggle for

health and human dignity in Africa, an activist like all of us are dying to

be one day. A real giant of Africa!

If David Sanders did not receive a Nobel Peace Prize, it may be that the

world is not yet grateful enough to one of its ??artisans??. But the health

movement will still remember that in South Africa, there was not only

Mandela or Desmond Tutu, there also was... David Sanders!

*The Struggle for Health: Medicine and the politics of underdevelopment*, *a

book of influence*

David Sanders is an influential actor of the public health movement. His

book *The Struggle for Health: Medicine and the Politics of

Underdevelopment *co-authored with Richard Carver in 1985 (Macmillan: UK)

has influenced academics and civil society in the past three decades,

including resistance to neoliberalism in health.

In this book, the founder and former director of the School of Public

Health at the University of Western Cape first demonstrated that the
reduction

in illness and premature mortality in UK has resulted from improved living

standards and hygiene and only to a very limited extent from specific

preventive measures and curative services. He went on to say that

transplantation into low and middle income countries of the western health

system is part of the broader process of expanding the capitalist system,

adding that Western health systems are more concerned with the medical

profession and the commercial interests rather than peoples well-being.

According to him, far from improving health, these transplantations

maintain the system that perpetuates poor development and health problems.

Finally, he appealed to expatriate health workers to make available to

their home country what they have learned so that primary health care will

become the basis of health care systems and there will be more democracy

and transparency in the management of health.

One of the most beautiful tributes to the famous disappeared would be to

read (or reread), understand and adopt this book of influence that fueled

the anti-neoliberal protest in Africa and around the world.



Pacome Tometissi,

PHM West & Central Africa



[Francais:*La mort ? arrach? ? l?affection de sa famille, du mouvement
populaire pour la Sant? et de la contestation antimondialisation, un baobab
cr?ant ainsi

un immense vide. Hommage ? un Africain unique et irrempla?able qui a d?di?

sa vie ? aider les autres.*

Comment trouver les mots pour exprimer notre gratitude ? cet ami fid?le, ce

guide qui nous a fait esp?rer et croire en la sant? des peuples, et qui

?tait toujours pr?sent et engag? ? nos cot?s jusqu?? son dernier souffle?

Nous pouvons individuellement et collectivement ?tre fiers de l?un de nos

intr?pides compagnons. Ses luttes, *David* les a men?es avec une conviction

ferme et un esprit d?ouverture caract?ristiques. Il *fut un des pionniers

de la lutte pour la sant? et de la dignit? humaine en Afrique, un activiste

comme nous tous mourrons d?envie de l??tre un jour. Un vrai g?ant

d?Afrique.*

Entre autres choses, on retiendra que David fut une vraie b?te de sc?ne et

faisait salle comble lors de ses conf?rences annuelles ? l?Universit? du

Cap Ouest. Si David Sanders n?a pas re?u de Nobel de la paix, c?est

peut-?tre que le monde n?est pas encore assez reconnaissant envers l?un de

ses artisans. Mais le mouvement de sant? publique retiendra quand m?me

qu?en Afrique du Sud, il n?y avait pas que Mandela ou Desmond Tutu, il

avait aussi un certain?David Sanders !

*La Lutte pour la Sant?: la M?decine et les Politiques du

Sous-d?veloppement, un ouvrage d?influence*

David Sanders est un homme d?influence dans le mouvement de contestation du

secteur de la sant? publique. Son ouvrage *La lutte pour la sant?: la

m?decine et la politique du sous-d?veloppement* cosign? avec Richard Carver

en 1985 chez Macmillan au Royaumes Unis a influenc? aussi bien les milieux

universitaires que la soci?t? civile de ces trois derni?res d?cennies

notamment la r?sistance contre le n?olib?ralisme dans la sant?.

Dans cet ouvrage, le fondateur et ancien directeur de l?Ecole de Sant?

publique de l?Universit? du Cap Ouest ? d?abord d?montr? que la r?duction

sensible de la mortalit? et de la morbidit? en Grande Bretagne r?sultait

beaucoup moins des services de pr?vention et de soins que de l?am?lioration

des conditions de vie et d?hygi?ne pour la plupart. Il a ensuite indiqu?

que la transplantation dans les pays ? revenus faible et interm?diaire du

syst?me de sant? occidental fait partie du processus plus g?n?ral de

l'extension du syst?me capitaliste  ajoutant que les syst?mes de sant?

occidentaux sont plus pr?occup?s par la profession m?dicale et les int?r?ts

commerciaux que par le bien-?tre des populations. Selon lui, loin de

contribuer ? la sant?, ils aident ?, de nombreuses fa?ons, maintenir le

syst?me qui perp?tue le mal d?veloppement et les probl?mes de sant?. Pour

finir, il a lanc? un appel aux agents de sant? de la diaspora afin qu?ils

mettent ? la disposition de leurs pays d?origine ce qu?ils auront appris

afin que non seulement les soins de sant? primaires deviennent la base des

syst?mes de sant? mais aussi qu?il y ait plus de d?mocratie et de

transparence dans la gestion de la sant?.

Un des plus beaux hommages ? l?illustre disparu serait de lire (ou relire),

comprendre et adopter cet ouvrage d?influence qui a aliment? la

contestation anti-n?olib?ral en Afrique et partout dans le monde.



Pacome Tometissi]





I was shocked to hear the sad news of demise of Dr. David Sanders. He was a
believer of Health For All and a challenger for social justice.

With deep griefs and sorrow I condole his family, and colleagues in PHM,
and wish his soul rest in Peace. With sympathy and solidarity. Dr. Mohammad
Ali Barzegar.



Sorry to hear about the demise of David Sanders.

In solidarity,

Reza Haque

(With GK since 1973)



Sad news indeed! Accept condolences of PHM Sri Lanka.  It?s an
irreplaceable loss to PHM future activities.

Sirimal Peiris
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