Pledge to fight for `Health for All’ - Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE - December 3,
2000
Pledge to fight for `Health for All’
People’s Health Assembly pays homage to Bangladesh
Liberation Martyrs
Hundreds of international delegates to the People’s Health Assembly (PHA 2000) at
Savar laid flowers at the site of the Jyotir Sriti Soud
- Bangladesh’s national monument, in honour of the heroes of its Liberation War in
1971.
And in the same spirit as that of the Martyrs the PHA 2000 participants pledged to fight
on till the noble goal of providing Health for All was achieved throughout the world.
Arabs, Africans, Europeans, Americans and Asians joined together to make the People’s
Health movement a truly global one.
‘People not Profits !’ , `Down with Drug Multinationals’ and `Health is a
Human Right’ were among the slogans that rent the air in Bangla, Hindi, English,
Spanish and Arabic, among other languages, as the delegates marched from the Gonoshasthaya
Kendra to the National Monument in a colourful procession.
Solidarity of people resisting globalisation was the main theme of the march.
“I am here to show solidarity with fellow activists. There is need to create a
critical mass of people for changing the deteriorating health, social and gender
situation”said Dr. Mira Shiva, of the All-India Drug Action Network.”
The demands of the PHA 2000 participants focused on making the health and well-being of
people the centre of all national and international policy making.
“ It is high time to put joint efforts to place health as a human right. Humans are
equal not just biologically but they should have equal options and opportunities.”
said Dr. Ghassan Issa from the Health Unit of the Arab Resources Collective.
“ Indigenous health issues have common root causes around the world and I felt that I
could see how other people are coping with them and strengthen ties with them” said
Irene Fisher of the Jawoyn Association, Australia.
“We are here because we believe in primary health care as a right of the people,
which the governments are not doing anything about. We are interested in primary health
care and want to learn from other groups here who have experience in this field” said
Mahmoud Masri of Social Progress in Lebanon.
The five-day event between 4-8 December will discuss and debate issues such the impact of
inequality and poverty on health, the status of healthcare and health services,
environment and human survival and the way forward towards making the dream of Health for
All a reality. At the end of the deliberations a People’s Charter for Health will be
issued.
