PHM-Exch> People's Health Dispatch: Bulletin #18: New waves of resistance

Mon Feb 7 01:56:36 PST 2022

This fortnight Millions of people around the world have been thrown into
poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic, yet big pharmaceutical companies have
reported record levels of profit. Thanks to sales of the Comirnaty vaccine,
in 2021 Pfizer has secured a 134% rise in revenue compared to the previous
year. The company is now looking to exploit the pandemic even more while
introducing the Paxlovid drug to high-income co

Bulletin #18: New waves of resistance
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/bulletin-18/>
By People's Health Dispatch – 05 Feb 2022 – View online →
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/bulletin-18/>

This fortnight

Millions of people around the world have been thrown into poverty during
the Covid-19 pandemic, yet big pharmaceutical companies have reported
record levels of profit. Thanks to sales of the Comirnaty vaccine, in
2021 Pfizer
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/the-people-of-the-world-vs-pfizer-inc/>has
secured a 134% rise in revenue compared to the previous year. The company
is now looking to exploit the pandemic even more while introducing the
Paxlovid drug to high-income countries, while leaving it out of reach of
poor countries.

A different path is pursued by Cuba
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/cuba-is-helping-vaccinate-the-world/>.
The island has recently pledged to offer additional support for vaccine
distribution in the Global South though deploying more health cadres,
donating more homegrown vaccine doses, and ensuring technology transfers to
other countries.

The example Cuba provides in Latin America is of extreme importance for the
region, where the impact of Covid-19 on inequities
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/01/29/covid-19-pandemic-led-to-increase-in-extreme-poverty-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-reports-eclac/>has
been particularly felt. A recent webinar by the People’s Health Movement
Latin America and Latin American Association of Social Medicine presented
some of the problems encountered by the people of the continent during the
pandemic, especially when it comes to health governance
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/health-systems-pandemic-response-and-social-participation-lessons-from-latin-america/>
and community participation.

In Nigeria
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/no-pause-in-health-workers-struggles-in-nigeria/>,
a strike wave in the health sector, which started in 2020, continues to
persist. Pharmacists, physiotherapists, assistants, nurses and doctors
alike are warning about deep-rooted inequities among different professions,
and asking for decent working conditions.

Health workers, patients, and progressive politicians continue to oppose a
new Health and Care Bill
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/01/31/strident-opposition-builds-up-to-tory-governments-health-and-care-bill/>
in the UK Parliament. If passed, its opponents warn, the bill would put an
end to the NHS as known to the UK public, opening the doors wide open to
corporatization and privatization.

The WHO recently held its annual Executive Board meeting, where Member
States discussed WHO's finances, as well as its approach to health
emergencies. In this issue, we bring an interview with Gargeya Telakapalli
from the People’s Health Movement on some of the EB 150 highlights
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZS1bGg2Cw0>.

In Data Speaks, we reflect on gender differences in the health workforce,
focusing in particular on the gender pay gap.
------------------------------

*The people of the world vs Pfizer Inc.
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/the-people-of-the-world-vs-pfizer-inc/>*

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Pfizer has used every opportunity to maximize
its profits, even if this meant reduced access to life-saving medical
products for most of the world. The same is about to happen in the case of
Paxlovid, the company’s Covid-19 oral treatment

*Cuba is helping vaccinate the world
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/cuba-is-helping-vaccinate-the-world/>*

Only 9.5% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose of
the vaccine. Cuba has a comprehensive plan to support vaccine distribution
in the global south to make sure none are left behind

*Health systems, pandemic response and social participation: lessons from
Latin America
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/health-systems-pandemic-response-and-social-participation-lessons-from-latin-america/>*

Latin America has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, following years
of privatization and fragmentation of health systems, and low public
investment in health

*No pause in health workers’ struggles in Nigeria
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/05/no-pause-in-health-workers-struggles-in-nigeria/>*

As health workers’ trade unions in Nigeria call their membership to
continue strike action over bad working conditions and missed payments,
attempts to limit the space for industrial action persist

*Strident opposition builds up to Tory government’s Health and Care Bill
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/01/31/strident-opposition-builds-up-to-tory-governments-health-and-care-bill/>*

The Conservative government’ Health and Care Bill 2021-22 is currently
undergoing deliberations at the committee stage in the House of Lords.
Critics say it will lead to greater private control over the National
Health Service
------------------------------
Short reads

*COVID-19 pandemic led to increase in extreme poverty in Latin America and
the Caribbean, reports ECLAC
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/01/29/covid-19-pandemic-led-to-increase-in-extreme-poverty-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-reports-eclac/>*

According to ECLAC’s annual report, extreme poverty rate in the region rose
from 13.1% in 2020 to 13.8% in 2021, a setback of 27 years
------------------------------

*Video: In year 3 of the pandemic, the challenges facing WHO are in plain
sight <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZS1bGg2Cw0>*

The recently concluded Executive Board meeting of the World Health
Organization was significant as it was an opportunity to evaluate the
global response to the pandemic and chart the future course of the
organization. Gargeya Telakapalli of People's Health Movement analyzes the
challenges faced by the WHO and the way ahead.
  <https://youtu.be/aZS1bGg2Cw0>
------------------------------
Data speaks
------------------------------
In case you missed it
Security Guards launch a six-week strike with a huge rally and peaceful
occupation
UVW
<https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/en/news/2022/02/security-guards-launch-a-six-week-strike-with-a-huge-rally-and-peaceful-occupation/>
In world first, South Africa’s Afrigen makes mRNA COVID vaccine using
Moderna data
South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics has used the publicly available sequence
of Moderna Inc’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to make its own version of the shot,
which could be tested in humans before the end of this year, Afrigen’s top
executive said on Thursday.
Reuters•Wendell Roelf
<https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/world-first-safricas-afrigen-makes-mrna-covid-vaccine-using-moderna-data-2022-02-03/>
Jan Swashtya Abhiyan Calls Out Budget ’23 for its Failure to Increase
Allocations Towards Public Health System in India | NewsClick
The allocation for the Union Health Ministry declined by 7% in real terms.
Moreover, the share of health in the total budget has decreased from 2.35%
to 2.26% compared to the previous year.
NewsClick•Newsclick Report
<https://www.newsclick.in/jan-swashtya-abhiyan-calls-budget-failure-increase-allocations-public-health-system-india>
“Our Health Workers Are Working in Fear”: After Myanmar’s Military Coup,
One Year of Targeted Violence against Health Care - Physicians for Human
Rights
Introduction On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) took
control of the country in a coup d’état.[1] Hundreds of thousands of people
took to the streets in protest.[2] The military regime not only imprisoned
political rivals and dissenters,[3] but quickly proceeded to wage war
against…
Physicians for Human Rights
<https://phr.org/our-work/resources/one-year-anniversary-of-the-myanmar-coup-detat/?utm_source=homepage>
Ultra-low field MRI scanner could make imaging accessible : Peoples Dispatch
Recently, Hong Kong University has reported the possibility of a low-cost
MRI using ULF (Ultra-Low Field) magnetic field that is capable of detecting
brain lesions
Peoples Dispatch•Sandipan Talukdar
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/01/29/ultra-low-field-mri-scanner-could-make-imaging-accessible/>
The Next Pandemic
We can take action today to stop the next pandemic, from preventing
environmental destruction to properly funding health systems across the
world – but there is little sign that governments are willing to do it.
•Beauty Dhlamini
<https://tribunemag.co.uk/2022/01/pandemic-covid-19-plan-b-agriculture-capitalism>
The Lack of Hospital Beds Is a National Crisis
America is experiencing a massive shortfall in hospital beds, harmful to
both COVID and non-COVID patients needing care. But the pandemic didn’t
create the hospital bed crisis — it exacerbated an existing one that our
government refuses to address.
•Ryan Zickgraf
<https://jacobinmag.com/2022/01/hospital-beds-national-crisis-health-care-system-medicare-for-all>
*People’s Health Dispatch is an initiative of Peoples Dispatch and the
People's Health Movement*
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