Background to the Mumbai Declaration
The participants
gathered at the III International Forum for the Defence of the People’s
Health held in Mumbai on 14th and 15th of January 2004, debated and
explored ways to counter the increasing and serious threats to health in
the early 21st century. The Mumbai Declaration is a consensus outcome of
the complex response that today’s health challenges pose.
The Declaration
focus on the key challenges that the people of the world face today in
achieving health. It analyses the causes that blocks in meeting the
international communities obligation in fulfilling the promise of
“Health For ALL”
.
The declaration
highlights six key challenges.
-
End Corporate-led
Globalisation
-
End war and
occupation
-
Implement
Comprehensive and sustainable Primary Health Care
-
Confront the
HIV/AIDS epidemic with Primary Health Care and Health Systems approach
-
Reverse
Environmental damage caused by unsustainable development strategies
-
End
discrimination in the Right to Health and take measures to stop violence
against women
The declaration
calls for action at various levels such as the Government, WHO and other
UN agencies, International Agencies, International Financial Institutions,
NGOs and the people.
The declaration
calls on the people to pressurise the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund to acknowledge their culpability in the
current health care crisis, especially the damage caused by Structural
Adjustment Programs.
While noting the
ongoing health crisis in Palestine, Iraq and other places devastated by
wars, conflicts and sectarian violence, the Mumbai Declaration calls to
strengthen the international anti-war movement through building the global
campaign: “No to
War, No to WTO, Fight for People’s Health”. This campaign is
expected to be launched in March 3rd week, a year after the US lead
military occupation began in Iraq.
