People's Health Movement Australia

[edit] PHM Oz: Focus on Poverty, inequality and health in Australia - and beyond (Adelaide, 19 September 2019)

The PHM/PHAA(PEH,IH SIGs) forum on poverty and health commenced with a session devoted to remembering Professor David Sanders. The next session reviewed the broader context of any focus on poverty, inequality and health. The third session heard more personal stories of coping with poverty and organising at the local level. Watch this space for more detailed report.

[edit] The Fourth People's Health Assembly (Bangladesh, 16-19 November 2018)

Around 1400 people from 73 countries came together for a wonderful Fourth People’s Health Assembly held at BRAC in Savar, just outside Dhaka in Bangladesh: to reflect on the continuing global health crisis; to share experiences and perspectives; to celebrate our movement; and to plan for re-energised engagement in the struggle for health.
The PHA is the top direction setting body of the People’s Health Movement. There have been three previous PHAs. The first was held in December 2000 at the same venue as PHA4 in Bangladesh. Actually PHA1 was the assembly at which the PHM was born and the [People’s Charter for Health] was adopted. The Second PHA was held in 2005 in Cuenca in Ecuador and the Third in Cape Town in 2012.
PHA4 was focused around review and planning for five thematic areas: health systems, environment and extractive industries, food and nutrition, gender and health, trade and health, and migration/conflict/war/occupation/repression. Thematic groups meeting during the Assembly developed statements of commitment several of which are still being finalised. The trade and health statement is [here]. More about the purpose and structure of the Assembly is [here]. The outcome statement from the Assembly is (as of 7 Dec) still being edited. It will be broadcast on PHM Exchange and posted on [phmovement.org].
The exuberance of the Assembly was brought low less than a week after the cheerful goodbyes with the news that Dr Amit Sengupta had died while enjoying a brief holiday in Goa after the Assembly. Amit Sengupta has been a much loved friend, comrade and leader within PHM Global and PHM in India. He had been the main organiser of the Assembly, including managing some difficult politics in the days before the Assembly started. Amit has also been the main editor of the last three editions of [Global Health Watch] as well as being instrumental in steering [PHM’s WHO Watch].
The debate and vibe of the Assembly were widely broadcast through social media. Peoples Dispatch produced a number of [videos] featuring some of the speakers. The Twitter feed was very active during the Assembly (look for #PHA4) as was Instagram (#pha4) and Periscope (two nice clips with an Australian link; also #pha4).

[edit] Health for All or Health for Some? Responding to neoliberalism in health

AS part of the lead up to PHA4 in November, PHM Oz, in association with the Political Economy Special Interest Group of the Public Health Association of Australia, held a workshop in Canberra in September, entitled “Health for All or Health for Some? Impacts of neoliberal globalisation on health in Australia and beyond”:
• Neoliberal globalisation. What is it? Where did it come from? Are there alternatives?
• Impact of neoliberal globalisation on health care and population health in the Global South;
• Impact of neoliberal globalisation in Australia: on health care and on the social determinants of health;
• What is to be done?

The report of the workshop is [here]

[edit] Global Medicines Crisis

The crisis is reflected in cost barriers to access, failure to develop drugs for diseases which only affect poor people, counterfeit products and big pharma / big power bullying. Central to these problems is the need to reform the intellectual property regime as it applies to pharmaceuticals. </br> For more on the crisis go to the Global Medicines Crisis resources page.

[edit] Global Food Crisis

Join PHM's food crisis project - read more

[edit] The People's Health Movement

The People’s Health Movement (PHM) is a global coalition of grassroots and health activist organisations dedicated to addressing the burden of preventable disease globally but in particular that carried by developing countries. The goal of the People’s Health Movement is to re-establish health and equitable development as top priorities in local, national and international policy-making with comprehensive primary health care as a key strategy to achieve these priorities. More about PHM Australia
More about PHM Global

[edit] International People's Health University

The Fourth PHA was preceded by an eight day International People’s Health University (IPHU) short course which was presented under the general slogan of ‘The struggle for health’ with a three day common phase but then splitting into two streams (Gender and Health and Access to Medicines), before coming together again for the final day. The [resources page for this course] provides access to all of the presentations plus day by day descriptions plus some photographs. More about IPHU generally can be found [here].
The International People's Health University aims to contribute to ‘health for all’ by strengthening people’s health movements around the globe, by organising and resourcing learning, sharing and planning opportunities for people's health activists, particularly from Third World countries. [More...]

[edit] Global Health Watch: The Alternative World Health Report

Global Health Watch offers a comprehensive survey of the key areas that influence the health of poor and vulnerable groups all over the world. It includes inspiring stories about resistance. It is also a call to action.
The fifth edition of GHW is now out!
Chapters (or whole issue) downloads from GHWs 1-5 are now available here: GHW

[edit] WHO Watch

The heavy burden of disease carried by poorer countries and poorer people reflects in large degree the unequal distribution of power nationally and globally.
PHM's 'Democratising global health governance' project is directed at a restructuring of the forces and dynamics which shape the health crisis, globally.
WHO Watch (part of the DGHG project) involves tracking, commenting, participating, lobbying and reporting on WHO's governing body meetings.
Also check out PHM's WHO Tracker which tracks current and previous meetings of WHO governing bodies and provides a search function to follow specific issues or resolutions.

[edit] Networking with Other Organisations

We are keen to negotiate affiliation relationships with existing organisations who share our objectives. See our current affiliates. Please email us if you would like to discuss affiliation.

[edit] Get Involved!

There are ways for both organisations and individuals to get involved in PHM. Read more