PHM Africa Learning Space

54th ECSA Health Ministers’ Conference Mombasa, Kenya, 7 – 11 November 2011 ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Theme: Consolidating the Gains: Addressing High Impact Interventions for Improved Health Outcomes The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), in collaboration with the Ministries of Public Health and Sanitation and Medical Services Republic of Kenya will host the 54th ECSA Health Minister’s Conference from 07 - 11 November 2011 in Mombasa, Republic of Kenya. The Conference, will bring together Ministers of Health, Senior Officials from Ministries of Health, Experts, Health Researchers, Heads of Health Training Institutions from Member States of the ECSA Health Community; diverse Collaborating Partners in the region and beyond with the aim of identifying policy issues and making recommendations to facilitate the implementation of high impact interventions for improved health outcomes. The theme of the 54th ECSA Health Ministers Conference i...

By Claudio Schuftan My column this month comes in two parts linked by one word. This is 'target' in two of its meanings. These are 'targetry' and also 'setting targets'. The concepts that I want to get across to you are self-evident as you read along. In the name of greater equity, many currently proposed approaches to resolve the problems of nutrition still very often favour and select actions covering, for the most part, strategies that target services to the disadvantaged and malnourished, such as the measurements of weight and height of little children as shown above. This strategic approach, it is purported, represents a move towards equity. But is it really? Many of us rather think that what is needed is to mobilise a strong popular movement that demands a comprehensive, truly equity-oriented nutrition policy (1). TARGETRY AND EQUITY 'FIXING THE WORST CASES' DOES NOT AND CANNOT ADDRESS THE BASIC ISSUES' Many of us also think it is wr...

People's Health Movement Ghana (PHM/Ghana) Health for All Now!! Ref: PHM-GH-WHO/AFRO/RC-1 30th August, 2011. Hon. Joseph Yieleh-Chireh Minister of Health, Accra. Dear Hon. Joseph Yieleh-Chireh, Issues for consideration at the 61st WHO Regional Committee for Africa We, the People’s Health Movement Ghana (PHM-Ghana) and representatives from a number of civil society groups from across the country, write to you in connection with the 61st World Health Organisation Regional Committee Meeting for Africa scheduled to take place in Yamoussoukro from August 29th to September 2nd, 2011. The Regional Committee meeting provides an opportunity to deliberate and commit to crucial issues of health in the WHO African region. PHM-Ghana is a registered civil society organization in Ghana, and is an affiliate (the Ghana circle) of the People’s Health Movement (PHM). PHM is a global network of organizations working locally, nationally and globally for ‘health for all’. Our basi...

Dear PHM colleagues PHM Ghana is in the process of developing a position paper in the lead up to the 61st WHO Africa Regional Committee Meeting. Please see email below. They are calling on friends and members for input which you can send to the PHM Ghana email phmghana@gmail.com. Regards Linda Dear Colleagues and Friends of PHM-Ghana, Next week our Minister of Health will be attending the 61st WHO Africa Regional Committee Meeting in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivore, together with 45 other Ministers of Health from other African countries. The documents and resolutions that will be discussed at this meeting have now been uploaded on the website: http://www.afro.who.int/en/sixty-first-session. We are calling on friends and members of PHM-Ghana to contribute to discussions on the agenda items through a joint position paper to Ghana's delegation (most likely civil society will not be included in this delegation). Note that unlike meetings of the WHO Headquarters, where ther...

PHA3 mobilisation: Africa Update Various pre- PHA3 mobilisation activities have begun in the region and in attempt to have a coordinated efforts towards the assembly, mobilisation committees have been set up. Four sub-regional committees have been formed: West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and Central. Contacts of PHM exist in the following countries West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal East Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, Djibouti, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Angola and South Africa Central Africa: Cameroun, Gabon, DRC and Congo. A regional mobilisation committee will be developed from representatives of these sub-regions. Recently the East Africa sub-regional committee held their first meeting on Wednesday 13 July 2011 to identify possible mobilisation ideas, themes, terms of reference and identifying two representatives for ...

People’s Health Movement- Sierra Leone Chapter PRESS RELEASE Freetown , 15th June 2011 TB DRUGS NOT AVAILABLE AT HEALTH CENTRES IN SIERRA LEONE – PATIENTS ARE DYING We, people infected and affected by HIV and Tuberculosis and health workers in the People’s Health Movement- Sierra Leone Chapter , are alarmed by the absolute shortage of supply of TB drugs at health centres in the country for over two months now. Over this period of drug shortage , TB patients who have started treatment have stopped treatment prematurely because health care workers cannot provide the drugs either in intensive or continuation phases . This appalling state of national health care service that exists without explanation is shameful , demonstrating wide cracks in the National Health system that allows vulnerable persons to fall through. In spite of repeated enquiries to get clarification on theshortage of drugs no information seems to come through . We doubt ...

The Beit Trust Scholarships for postgraduate studies to study in United Kingdom, Ireland or South Africa Deadline: 31 August 2011 Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe The Beit Trust seeks applications for a small number of Scholarships abroad for postgraduate studies or research to graduates from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe (beneficial area). Scholarships are granted to study at a university in the United Kingdom, Ireland or South Africa... http://www.fundsforngos.org/scholarships-2/beit-trust-scholarships-postgraduate-studies-malawi-zambia-zimbabwe-study-united-kingdom-ireland-south-africa/