What’s
happening in Africa?
Share
your News!!
November
2012
There are a number of growing and
active People’s Health Movement (PHM)
country circles in Africa linked to the various PHM programmes that are in
place. Country circles and interest has grown in at least 20 African countries
with membership ranging from interested individuals, loose networks and PHM
circles with organised committees. Country circles have had to operate in
challenging environments dealing with advocacy and activism around the right to
health, national health insurance, high maternal deaths, hunger and drought, war
and conflict, high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, violations of
patient’s rights, lack of water and sanitation, poor policy implementation,
effects of climate change, decreasing funding and broadly social determinants
of health.
In this brief we share some
highlights of PHM activities and activities happening in Africa. Please feel to
contribute in the next monthly brief so that we can add more activities.
1. PHM meetings
and activities
Uganda
PHM Uganda held its monthly
meeting on the 8th of November 2012 organised to evaluate PHM Uganda in 2012
and discuss a strategy for 2013. The group is also involved in the One Week in
December Campaign organised by Reach a Hand. For more information on Ugandan
activities you can contact Lydia Aballa on ablyd055@yahoo.co.uk
or Denis Bukenya on denisbukenya@gmail.com.
Kenya
PHM Kenya held a meeting on the 28th
of November 2012 organised to discuss PHM Kenya activities as well as
coordination of work within PHM East Africa. If you are interested in PHM Kenya
you can contact Omondi Otieno or Ravi Ram on
eomondi@acvkenya.org or ram@jhu.edu.
PHM West and Central Africa
The PHM West and Central Africa
group developed a concept note for participation in the Post-2015 Millennium Development
Goals development agenda. If this is successful, the group intends to have
consultations in the region to develop a common position.
Post PHA3- Growth of PHM in Africa
Zambia
Post PHA3, representatives from Zambia
have organised several initiatives to build PHM in Zambia. The group faces several
challenges in bringing people together but they are determined. If you are
interested in joining PHM Zambia, you can contact Sarah Ngoma on ngoma.sarah@gmail.com or Banza Chela on
banzachela@gmail.com
Burundi
Post PHA3, representatives from
Burundi, through the Health Healing Network Burundi have organised several
meetings to build PHM. A PHM Burundi standing committee has been put in place
to drive the process. Some representatives of PHM Burundi attended the 5th
African Congress on Hypertension and the 6th Seminar on Hypertension, organized
by the HIS (International Hypertension Society), Douala, Cameroon, 24 – 27
October 2012 (see attached PDF from PHM Burundi on PHM Africa Google group).
2. Other activities
happening in the region
-The Southern and
Eastern Africa Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS and Reproductive Health Rights
for Sustainable Development (SEYCOHAIDS) 2012, was held in Lilongwe, Malawi,
from the 6th to 8 November 2012, on the theme: Building Capacity
for AIDS and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights through Science, Technology and
Best Practices. Read the communiqué on this link http://www.phmafrica.blogspot.com/2012/12/communique-on-seycohaids-conference.html
-Community Working
Group on Health (CWGH) held its 19th National Meeting from the 22nd
to 23 November 2012 in Zimbabwe. It was as a platform to review national
health issues of concern and progress in the CWGH districts. A slot was
allocated for PHM to present the Call to Action developed at the third People’s
Health Assembly. CWGH website www.cwgh.co.zw
-Economic Justice Network of FOCCISA organised a Regional Civil Society Workshop on Exposing
and Addressing Tax Avoidance and Evasion in the Extractive Sector: Working Towards a Common Strategy. It
was held in Johannesburg, South Africa
from 29 -30 November 2012. This is important as we look at one of PHM’s
campaign issues on extractive industries. Email contact: admin@ejn.org.za Website: http://www.ejn.org.za/
-The sixty-second
session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa took place from 19 to 23
November 2012 in the Republic of Angola. The Regional Committee, comprising
health ministers from 46 Member States, is the Governing Body of WHO in the
African Region. Its purpose is to set policy and approve the budget and
programme of the work of WHO in the Region. 62nd WHO AFRO
meeting . As a region (Africa) we have had made several attempts to get
accreditation and participate but this has been in vain. There is however
positive feedback from partners to participate through their membership. It is
however a concern that there seems to be tight of control of civil society
participation in these meetings. PHM is
involved in the WHO Watch process with the purpose of building PHM’s capacity
to monitor WHO including World Health Assembly, Executive Board, Regional
Committees and various special purpose processes. The focus is currently on
‘watching’ and providing critical support to the World Health organisation. WHO
is the paramount health authority at the global level and needs to be
strengthened and reformed and properly funded to play this role. WHO Watch
seeks to generate support for a reformed WHO restored to its proper place in
global health governance. (Read more on www.ghwatch.org/who-watch).
The several components of the WHO
watch include
• ‘Watching’ which includes: documentation, analysis and
advocacy as appropriate at the various governing body meetings and liaison and
collaboration with WHO country representatives;
• Liaison with national representatives before their
participation at the WHA, EB and the regional committee meetings;
• Maintenance and development of WHO Watch website(
www.ghwatch.org/who-watch) providing accessible, high value policy analysis and
a portal to other relevant resources
• Collaboration with other civil society organisations who
are involved in health-relevant watching in relation to WHO and other
international organisations;
The WHO Executive Board meeting will be taking place 21-29
January 2013 in Geneva. As country circles we need to familiarise ourselves
with the agenda items and the backgrounds to each item and to analyse the
issues at stake, in particular, from the perspective of the Charter, as well as
think about advocacy priorities. The address of the WHO Watch EB132 Agenda Site
is http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_eb132.html
.
3. Opportunities to get involved in
Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Various countries
are involved in these consultations. We would like to encourage whenever
possible, to participate in these Post-2015 MDG consultations. See link http://www.worldwewant2015.org/health.
For Example, Ghana is one of the countries in which UN supported consultations
will be held and PHM Ghana is keenly waiting to contribute to the health
thematic consultation.
4. Future Activities
Coordinated launch of the Global Health Watch 3 in East
Africa
5. Communication and Publications/articles
- Tanzania: a. Civil Society’s role in new Tanzania constitution identified. and b. Civil Society call for referendum on Union before new law. Source: The foundation for Civil Society. Articles shared by Mussa Tanu from PHM Tanzania in Zanzibar. See link on PHM Africa blog: CSO's role in new Tanzania constitution and CSO's call for referendum on Union before new law-Tanzania
- PHM country circle can create their own country page on the PHM website www.phmovement.org. The country page you will create allows you to post news directly on the global website and as such can reach a wider public within the movement. The PHM Global secretariat is here to assist and you can liaise with Anneleen on Anneleen@phmovement.org for more information.
6. Useful Links
PHM Facebook:
AIDSPAN facebook:
***
Please feel to contribute to the monthly PHM Africa brief. You
can your news, activities, etc to linda@phmovement.org
or africalearningspace@gmail.com
Health for All Now!!!
Go PHM Africa!
ReplyDelete2013 is the year to shine...
Health for All Now!