PHM-Exch> Fwd: Bulletin #56: Rising temperature in health systems amid climate and equity struggles

[Health PD]

This fortnight   One year into the Marcos Junior administration in the
Philippines, the state of health care remains largely unchanged. Despite
Bongbong Marcos' announcement that he would enhance the health insurance
model to improve coverage, this promise has yet to materialize. Instead,
the people in the Philippines face worsening social determinants of health
and a shortage of health workers. We met with activists from the Health
Alliance for Democracy to gain further insights. In Iraq, the

Bulletin #56: Rising temperature in health systems amid climate and equity
struggles
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/26a39212?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>
By People's Health Dispatch • 11 Aug 2023 View in browser
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/21415f3e?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>
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This fortnight

One year into the Marcos Junior administration in the Philippines
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/b5fac653?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>,
the state of health care remains largely unchanged. Despite Bongbong
Marcos' announcement that he would enhance the health insurance model to
improve coverage, this promise has yet to materialize. Instead, the people
in the Philippines face worsening social determinants of health and a
shortage of health workers. We met with activists from the Health Alliance
for Democracy to gain further insights.

In Iraq
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/aabca30f?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>,
the state of healthcare is intertwined with the activities of oil companies
as much as the condition of health services. The country, ranked among the
most vulnerable to climate change globally, is already grappling with the
consequences of sandstorms and scarcity of clean water and food. With
temperatures reaching new record highs at the start of August, health
activists cautioned against leaving this unaddressed.

Nurses within Portugal's
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/c070cf0b?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>private
and public health systems are fighting for long-awaited improvements in
their roles: safe staffing ratios, better salaries, and acknowledgment of
their contributions to care delivery. While those in the private sector
staged another strike to secure equal rights with their counterparts in
public hospitals, an initiative by the Enfermeiros Unidos platform
announced its intent to democratize the local nurses' professional
association and make it more responsive to members' input.

Approximately 90,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)
participated in a protest in Bihar, India
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/ac848ef8?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>,
where they demanded regular salaries and pensions. ASHAs play a pivotal
role in providing care within communities. However, similar to community
health workers in other parts of the world, they continue to be dismissed
by governments and health officials.

During this year’s World Breastfeeding Week
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/8fa272dd?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>,
campaigns centered on promoting measures to support breastfeeding among
working mothers. Activists warned policymakers about the significance of
implementing effective workplace support measures. There was also an
emphasis on strengthening primary health care to enhance the well-being of
pregnant women and new families.
------------------------------

*Video: No improvements to health system after one year of Marcos Jr
administration
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/2cba0431?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>*

Despite promises of improvement to health services delivery and the health
insurance model, the people in the Philippines are still struggling for
access to good health care

<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/6aec38fc?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>
------------------------------
Featured articles

*Nurses in Portugal push for better rights in both private and public
sectors
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/37b2d115?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>*

Nurses in Portugal wage a battle for better rights and recognition, with
recent strikes in both public and private sectors marking a potential surge
in activism. The nurses have cited salaries that lag behind those in the
public sector and longer work schedules compared to their counterparts in
public hospitals

*Climate breakdown threatens food security and health in Iraq
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/1e8c8b97?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>*

Iraq faces a food security and health crisis as extreme heatwaves hit West
Asia, revealing the profound impact of climate change

*Supporting breastfeeding in the workplace and beyond
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/15e07eab?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>*

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 highlights the importance of workplace
protections in promoting breastfeeding. It is equally crucial to strengthen
public health systems worldwide to improve maternal and child health
------------------------------
Short reads

*ASHA workers in India’s Bihar demand fair pay, pensions
<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/1be6995f?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>*

ASHAs are trained female health workers who perform a range of tasks and
act as key intermediaries between the village community and the public
health system
------------------------------
Data speaks
------------------------------
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<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/5b5288ec?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>
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<https://peoples-health-dispatch.ghost.io/r/395934b9?m=7fbe802b-41b0-46c0-a257-5e71e0284f0a>
*People’s Health Dispatch is an initiative of Peoples Dispatch and the
People's Health Movement*
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