The People's Health Movement

The People's Health Movement (PHM) is a growing coalition of grassroots organizations dedicated to changing the prevailing health care delivery system. This system is considered to be failing to serve the deteriorating health of most of the poor worldwide.

Lanny Smith (right), DGH Board Member, at the People's Health Assembly in Bangladesh, with Halfdan Mahler (center), former Director-General of the World Health Organization who helped make the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata possible. Alma-Ata (PDF) called on the world to achieve basic health care for all the world's population by the year 2000 and recommended comprehensive primary health care as the best means to this end. Unfortunately, after Dr. Mahler's tenure, the WHO pulled back on this recommendation, and with UNICEF, IMF and others, began to concentrate on top-down single-issue care, such as bed nets, micro-nutrients and immunizations.

Read Lanny Smith's report from Cuenca, Ecuador, where over 1,500 representatives from 80 countries met in July 2005 to discuss how to achieve health as a human right for all.

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The PHM process began with a series of networking and discussion activities worldwide to consider key issues in preparation for an international gathering - the first People's Health Assembly (PHA), held in Bangladesh in December 2000.

From December 4-8, 2000 over 1,500 activists from more than 94 countries participated in PHA 2000, including six representatives from DGH. As the culmination of more than a year of organizing in communities throughout the world, we discussed each other's work toward health and social justice, formed alliances and planned ways to make a difference. DGH is proud to be a signee of the People's Charter for Health (PDF) and a co-convener of the PHM-USA circle.

The PHM is a long-term process with important preparatory and follow-up phases in addition to the Assembly event. The PHM is a collective effort in opening up opportunities for communities and civil society organizations that believe that the current health situation is unacceptable and therefore want to have a more significant voice in determining the direction of the future.

PHM Objectives

• To hear the unheard. The assembly will present people’s concerns and initiatives for better health, including traditional and indigenous approaches. Their direct experiences of ill-health, its causes and possible solutions will also be presented, discussed and analysed. Action plans will be worked out and refined;

• To reinforce the principle of health as a broad cross-cutting issue. There will be emphasis on the intersectoral dimensions of primary health care and focus on health development, rather than health services. The problematic aspects of vertical, non-integrated programs will be highlighted;

• To develop co-operation between concerned actors in the health field. The importance of strengthening the links between the different institutions and actors in the health field should not be underestimated. Such revived and/or new partnerships will be built on the principle of equity and accountability between the parties;

• To formulate a People’s Health Charter. Based on thorough analyses of world health problems as well as existing policies and programs, a People’s Health Charter will be formulated. Concrete recommendations regarding policy and practice will be made to governments, international organizations, the business sector, non-governmental organizations and people’s movements;

• To improve the communication between concerned groups, institutions and actors. Communication and networking among individuals, groups, organizations and institutions will be developed during the Assembly and sustained and strengthened thereafter;

• To share and increase knowledge, skills, motivation and advocacy for change. During and after the Assembly opportunities will be provided for in-depth exchange of experience's and development of skills to participants in the on-going PHA process. The People’s Health Charter will provide a base for advocacy, policy-formulation and campaigns at the local, national and international levels.

• To use the Internet and Telehealth technology in innovative ways to supplement existing modes of global communication.

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