IPHU Course "The Struggle for Health" Porto Alegre, Brazil

A two week short course 'The Struggle for Health' for health activists is being conducted at Porto Alegre, Brazil by International Peoples Health University and People's Health Movement in association with the School of Public Health of Rio Grande do Sul from 8-19 September, 2008. 54 people’s health activists from different countries are participating in this course.

The objectives of this IPHU short course are to enable younger health activists to make new connections, share experiences and study together. They aim at strengthening the global network of people’s health activists.

Curriculum
The curriculum includes:
- the struggle for health: achievements, strategies and new directions;
- working with communities and with grass roots health organizations;
- comprehensive primary health care: achievements, lessons and new directions;
- the political economy of health: globalization, the WTO, the IMF and the WB; local issues and global pressures;
- the right to health: principles, achievements and new directions;
- people’s health and the environmental struggle;
- research: part of the problem and part of the solution;
- social determinants of health (poverty, oppression and hierarchy; alienation and exclusion; racism and sexism; materialism) and the struggle for health.

In addition the participants will be encouraged to stay on for a one day international workshop on Primary Health Care (Saturday 20th September) being organised by the People’s Health Movement in association with the International Epidemiology Association Conference (21-24 September) also in Porto Alegre.

A Call for all PHM networks to participate in Launching the Global Health Watch 2

The Global Secretariat of the People's Health Movement (PHM) jointly with the Secretariat of the Global Health Watch 2 (GHW2) call upon all PHM country circles and networks to participate in the launching of the GHW2.

The Global Health Watch:

Global Health Watch is a collaboration of leading popular movements and nongovernmental organizations comprising civil society activists, community groups, health workers and academics. It has compiled the second edition of its alternative world health report 'a hard-hitting, evidence-based analysis of the political economy of health and health care' as a challenge to major global bodies that influence health. Its monitoring of institutions including the World Bank, the World Health Organization and UNICEF reveals that while some important initiatives are being taken, much more needs to be done to have any hope of meeting the UN's health related Millennium Development Goals.

The GHW2's content includes:

Introduction

A: Alternative Paradigm for Development

B: Health Care Sector

1. Health systems advocacy 2. Mental Health: Culture, Language and Power 3. Access to healthcare for migrants and asylum seekers 4. Prisoners 5. Medicines

C: Beyond health care

1. Carbon Trading and Climate Change 2. Terror, war and health 3. Reflections on Globalization, Trade, Food and Health 4. Urbanisation 5. The Sanitation and Water Crisis 6. Oil Extraction and Health in the Niger Delta 7. Humanitarian Aid 8. Education - update

D: Watching

1. Global Health Governance 2. Government Aid 3. TNC's

E: Pockets of Resistance

The launching:

The PHM Global Secretariat is urging all PHM country circles to use the opportunity of launching the GHW2 for further mobilization around the PHM principles and activism on country level. This would entail organizing a wide range of pre-launching activities, linking the launching to big planned events, organizing the launch, if stands alone, to discuss and promote the content of the GHW2 rather than just launching it. The launching activities will start during the second half of October till the end of the year 2008. Each PHM country circle or group would decide upon a launching date, may be in linkage to other planned national activity.

Steps:

Please have a look on the below suggested guidelines.

1. Consult with PHM colleagues in your country to draw-up a launching plan for the GHW2.

2. Contact the PHM global secretariat (secretariat@phmovement.org) or GHW2 secretariat (bridget@hst.org.za) to indicate:

• The possibility/willingness to organize the launching of the GHW2.
• Your country-specific launching plan and dates, you may focus on: How to use the launching activities for initiating/strengthening PHM circle on the country level; How to promote the use of the GHW2 as an advocacy tool; How to use the launching event in ensuring better mobilization around the development of GHW-3.; How to encourage the presence of media and ensure good coverage
• List of potential collaborates in the launching. List of PHM publications you may need, indicating the needed number and preferred language of each (please refer to the section on launching package below) and the address the global secretariate/GHW2 secretariate should post the package to.