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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Dear Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Although I could not agree more strongly with the substance of
the communiqué below, might I add a note of caution about the language of “demands”?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Social movements are most effective in articulating their
objectives as “demands” when they can bring tens/hundreds of thousands of
people into the streets, or can exercise some analogously strong influence within
the more rarefied context of multilateral fora such as WHA. Can PHM realistically
claim to be able to do this? If not, then I suggest moderating the language,
although not of course the underlying ethical argument.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>In solidarity,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Ted Schrecker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> phm-exchange-bounces@phm.phmovement.org
[mailto:phm-exchange-bounces@phm.phmovement.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Claudio
Schuftan<br>
<b>Sent:</b> May 17, 2009 1:50 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> pha-exchange<br>
<b>Subject:</b> PHM-Exch> PHM press statement (WHA 2009, May 18): “Declare
Global economic downturn a health emergency!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>From: <<a
href="mailto:unnikru@yahoo.com">unnikru@yahoo.com</a>><br>
and: <a href="mailto:secretariat@phmovement.org">secretariat@phmovement.org</a>,
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>For immediate circulation:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Press
Release: Geneva , 18 May, 2009 </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><i><span style='font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Declare Global economic downturn a
health emergency!”</span></i></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Economic Recession is a threat to the
world’s health”</span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
People’s Health Movement urges the World Health Organization and member
governments to <b>“declare the economic recession currently gripping the
globe as a health emergency”. </b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Health
activists gathered here in Geneva for the World Health Assembly (18-22 May)
are expected to lobby the UN health body and governments to declare global
downturn a health emergency. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>People’s
Health Movement (PHM) is a global coalition of grass root health workers,
health professionals, human rights, peace and social activists. </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Recession
is hitting the poor people hard and their health and survival”</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> said a PHM
spokesperson. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“While
it is too early to make a rigorous assessment, recession’s potential impact
on health is much greater than that of <i>‘Swine flu’</i>, through impacts on
poverty and social spending”.</span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“The
current paradigm of ‘development’ has aggravated poverty and ill-health for
the poor, especially in the global south”,</span></b><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> said Prof. David Sanders, a public
health expert from South Africa . <b>“The current financial crisis will
worsen this”</b>, he said. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Donors
need to place health needs of poor people at the centre of their response
strategies” </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>said
Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury from Bangladesh . Dr. Chowdhury, a leading advocate
for affordable health care for poor people from Bangladesh , urged donors to
do a ’reality check’ and shred what he alleged was their ‘imperial attitude’.</span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>PHM
warns that the financial crisis is likely to result in greater dependence of
southern countries on donor assistance. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Previous
precedents indicate that the effects of the global crisis will be quickly
felt by the poor, across the globe. Focussing on a few priority diseases will
further amplify the health challenges for the poor people.</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Consider
the facts:</span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style='margin-top:0cm' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>50 million
workers may lose jobs if the economic crisis worsens, warns the
International Labour Organization. </span><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The UN and all
its agencies and funds spend about $20 billion each year or about $3 for
each person in the world. In contrast, Global military expenditure in
2007 was US $ 1339 billion or about US $202 for each person in the
world.</span><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Over 1 billion people across
the globe go hungry every day. One in five people in developing
countries is chronically undernourished </span><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style='margin-top:0cm' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Every day, almost 16,000
children die from hunger-related causes - one child every five seconds. </span><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style='margin-top:0cm' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The crisis
undermines human rights. UN Human Rights Council expressed “grave
concern” that the crises threatens to undermine the achievement of the
internationally agreed development goals including the Millennium
Development Goals.</span><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“The
loss of livelihoods, impending cutbacks in welfare spending and intensified
food crisis for the world’s poor is going to result in a significant increase
in avoidable deaths around the world”</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> said Dr. Amit Sengupta, a leading health
analyst from India . In India , 80 percent of expenditure on healthcare is
through out-of-pocket payments.</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Loss
of jobs or income could leave a vast majority of these unable to pay for
their treatment. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“It
is time to shift gears. The current situation demonstrates the need for a new
world health order and a new approach to development”,</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> said David
Woodward, a development economist from the United Kingdom . It is essential that
poor people are put at the centre of this new order, he said. Typically those
in poor, developing countries are likely to suffer the most. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
PHM demands immediate measures</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> by the international community and
individual governments: </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>a)</span><span
style='font-size:7.0pt'> </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To ensure adequate
resources made available to revitalise public health systems. Pay urgent
attention to the needs of the poor rather than the revival of failed big
commercial banks. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>b)</span><span
style='font-size:7.0pt'> </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To allocate funds
for the restoration of jobs and livelihood opportunities in low income
communities. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>c)</span><span
style='font-size:7.0pt'> </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To strengthen
social welfare programs in developing countries and for homeless and
unemployed people in developed countries, and not to use the economic crisis
downturn as an excuse to cut funds of welfare related programmes.</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Bridget
Lloyd, Global co-ordinator: People’s Health Movement.</span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm'><b><span lang=IT style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For
media enquiries: E-mail: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://uk.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=secretariat@phmovement.org"
target="_blank"><span lang=IT>secretariat@phmovement.org</span></a> </span><span
lang=IT style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>/ </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://uk.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=media@phmovement.org"
target="_blank"><span lang=IT>media@phmovement.org</span></a> <b> </b></span><b><span
lang=IT style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mobile :</span></b><span
lang=IT style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> +41 76 753
2979</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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