{"id":18870,"date":"2019-02-11T08:55:17","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T04:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=18870"},"modified":"2019-02-11T08:55:17","modified_gmt":"2019-02-11T04:55:17","slug":"peoples-health-movement-mauritius-to-be-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/peoples-health-movement-mauritius-to-be-launched\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cPeople\u2019s Health Movement \u2013 Mauritius\u201d to be launched"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Dr Harry Phoolchund<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1978, at the Alma\u2010Ata Conference, ministers from 134 member-countries in association with WHO and UNICEF declared \u201cHealth for All by the Year 2000\u201d selecting Primary Health Care as the best tool to achieve it. Unfortunately, that dream never came true.<\/span><\/p>\n

The health status of third world populations has not improved. In many cases it has deteriorated further. Currently we are facing a global health crisis, characterized by growing inequalities within and between countries.New threats to health are continually emerging. This is compounded by negative forces of globalization which\u00a0 prevent the equitable distribution of resources with regard to the health of people and especially that of the poor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within the health sector, failure to implement the principles of primary health care, as originally conceived in Alma\u2010Ata has significantly aggravated the global health crisis. Governments and the international bodies are fully responsible for this failure. It has now become essential to build up a concerted international effort to put the goals of health for all to its rightful place on the development agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Genuine, people-centred initiatives must therefore be strengthened in order to increase pressure on decision\u2010 makers, governments and the private sector to ensure that the vision of Alma\u2010 Ata becomes a reality. Several international organizations and civil society movements, NGOs and women\u2019s groups decided to work together towards this objective. This group together with others committed to the principles of primary health care and people\u2019s perspectives organized the first \u201cPeople\u2019s Health Assembly\u201d (PHA) which took place form 4\u20108 December 2000 in Bangladesh, at Savar, on the campus of the Gonoshasthasthaya Kendra or GK (Peoples Health Centre). 1453 participants from 92 countries came to the Assembly which was the culmination of eighteen months of preparatory action around the globe. The preparatory process elicited unprecedented enthusiasm and participation of a broad cross section of people who have been involved in thousands of village meetings, district level workshops and national gatherings.<\/span><\/p>\n

The plenary sessions at the PHA covered five main themes: Health, Life and Well\u2010Being; Inequality, Poverty and Health; Health Care and Health Services; Environment and Survival; and The Ways Forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

People from all over the world presented testimonies of deprivation and service failure as well as those of successful people\u2019s initiatives and organization. Over a hundred concurrent sessions made it possible for participants to share and discuss in greater detail different aspects of the major themes and give voice to their specific experiences and concerns. The five days event gave participants the space to express themselves in their own idiom. They put forward the failures of their respective governments and international organizations and decided to fight together so that health and equitable development become top priorities in the policy makers agendas at the local, national and international levels. Having reviewed their problems and difficulties and shared their experiences, they have formulated and finally endorsed the People\u2019s Charter for Health<\/strong>. The charter from now on will be the common tool of a worldwide citizens\u2019 movement, the global \u201cPeople\u2019s Health Movement\u201d (PHM) committed to make the Alma\u2010 Ata dream reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

The principles of the People\u2019s Charter for Health are:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n