Pubic Pharma: What is it and why it's important?

/ 22 January 2025 / 0 Comments

The People’s Health Movement (PHM) outlines a bold vision for Public Pharma as a cornerstone of its transformative agenda to address systemic inequities perpetuated by capitalism and imperialism. This position paper calls for dismantling the dominance of Big Pharma and replacing it with a state-led, people-centered model for the research, development, manufacturing, and distribution of health technologies. Grounded in the principles of the Alma Ata Declaration, PHM advocates for Public Pharma to ensure equitable access to high-quality, affordable medicines while fostering health sovereignty and international solidarity. Public Pharma, therefore, emerges not merely as a policy reform but as a transformative mechanism to realign health systems with human rights, ecological sustainability, and the collective well-being of communities worldwide.

This paper further explores the nuances of Public Pharma, emphasizing state ownership, meaningful democratic participation, and the prioritization of public health needs over profit motives. Rejecting neoliberal narratives and Public-Private Partnerships, PHM envisions Public Pharma as an instrument to combat class, gender, and racial disparities while promoting diverse knowledge systems, including traditional medicine. The paper stresses that Public Pharma must transcend addressing market failures, positioning itself as a transformative force to decolonize health paradigms, challenge corporate hegemony, and advocate for a commons-based, solidarity-driven approach to global health. Ultimately, the realization of Public Pharma is framed as a critical step toward achieving a just, eco-socialist order that dismantles exploitation and ensures Health for All.