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<p class="Default" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri" lang="EN-ZA">Approximately every 5
years, the <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/">People’s Health Movement</a> (PHM)
organises a <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/pha3">People’s Health Assembly
(PHA)</a>. This year from 6-11 July 2012, the Third People’s Health Assembly
will take place at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
bringing health activists, civil society, academics, communities, health
professionals, networks and individuals from across the world together to analyse
global health and to strategise jointly towards Health for All. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">The
Assembly<span style> </span>is more than an event, it is
part of an ongoing process which aims to create sustainable structures and
dynamics, both within and outside the health sector, which will continue to
drive coordinated action to secure universal and equitable access to health and
health care in particular comprehensive primary health care as described in the
Alma Ata Declaration; to address social determinants of health and in
particular the growing inequity within and between nations, mostly due to the
unfair economic structures. <span style>It aims to
increase the capacity of civil society and health activists to engage with and
intervene in the policy making process, to monitor and drive policy
implementation, to ensure sustainable, equitable and accountable health systems
and to build a productive dialogue on governance in health care.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">The
first Assembly took place in the year 2000, with more than 1500 people from
over 70 different countries coming together in Bangladesh as a global reaction to
the failure in realising Health for All. This Assembly was preceded by
community mobilisation and actions worldwide. The voices emerging from this
Assembly, together with the spirit of solidarity and coordinated action towards
positive change led to the development of the People’s Charter for Health and
the formation of the People’s Health Movement . The People’s Charter for Health
is now translated in over 40 languages and used worldwide as an advocacy tool
to achieve Health for All.<span style> </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">The
Second PHA held in Ecuador,
drew in over 1400 health activists in a gathering which revitalised and
inspired continuation of the movement and the struggle for better health. Now
PHM is in full preparation for PHA3! Across the world, people are gathering
testimonies, success stories and violations of the right to health, with the
aim of strengthening the movement and action towards equity and health for all.
<span style></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">The
main themes of the assembly are ‘The Global Political and Economic context of
health’, ‘Social and Physical Environments that destroy or promote health’, ‘Universal
coverage and equity in comprehensive and integrated health systems’ and ‘Beyond
the Crisis: Mobilizing for Health for All’.<span style>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/pha3/programme">The draft program is now
online.</a></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">The
final draft program is online on <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/">www.phmovement.org</a>.
Each day the program will focus on analyses of global health as well on action
and each session aims to contribute to the Call to Action which will be
developed before and during the event and will set the direction of the
movement for the coming 5 years. Organisations and networks can be part of the
PHA3 through organising a workshop or session. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/pha3/pre-assembly-activities">How to get
involved</a>?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">We
would encourage you to link up with health activist around the world and in
your region to connect and engage with country and regional processes in the
lead up to PHA3. For more information please refer to our <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/pha3">website</a>, link up with us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/PHA3.global/">facebook</a> and twitter (#pha3)
and link up with the <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/pha3/pre-assembly-activities">mobilisation
processes in your region</a>. Registration for the PHA3 is open online.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-ZA">Feel
free to contact the global secretariat on <a href="mailto:anneleen@phmovment.org">anneleen@phmovment.org</a> for any further
questions. </span></p>
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