Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (PHM-India) National convention on Health rights: 11-12 Dec. 2025
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (PHM-India) organised a very well attended and organised National convention on Health rights during 11-12 December at Delhi. Over 550 participants drawn from 23 states across the country joined the event, displaying major enthusiasm and crossing expectations of participation even by the JSA organising team. This was indeed a fitting event to celebrate the completion of 25 years of JSA and PHM.
Download the JSA 2025 Resolution
This convention could be organised successfully only due to the large scale and cohesive teamwork among over 20 JSA state convenors, leading organisers of around 15 JSA constituent networks, Thematic group leads associated with each of the eight convention themes, a large group of volunteers – mostly younger activists, and the dozen members of the JSA national co-convenors team.
The convention was planned with considerable preparations over the last few months. On 11th Dec. the opening plenary featured six national speakers from diverse backgrounds including public health, health sector unions and social movements.
This was followed by four thematic sessions (in two parallel venues). JSA Thematic groups had been working since last two months on the eight major convention themes, and Thematic briefs have been drafted for each of these, which served as background to the respective sessions. For details of the themes see https://phmindia.org/national-convention-2025/themes
On 11th December thematic sessions were held on these four themes:
1. Strengthening public health systems and ensuring Right to health
2. Healthcare financing, insurance, reducing Out-of-Pocket spending
3. Opposition to privatisation of public health services and critique of PPPs
4. Gender and social justice in health
This was followed by a special session for dialogue with Parliamentarians in the evening of 11th December.
The session with parliamentarians saw the participation of six members of Indian parliament from different states, for whom a ten-point policy agenda on Right to health and healthcare was presented on behalf of JSA -
1. Ensure the Right to healthcare with federalism, inclusion and non-discrimination
2. Increase public health funding and minimise out-of-pocket spending by people
3. Strengthen Public health services and upscale the National Health Mission
4. Nurture the health workforce, establish a national policy on human resources for health
5. Parliament must resolve to halt privatisation of public health services
6. Enforce regulation of private healthcare and protection of patient rights
7. Universalize free provision of essential medicines and diagnostics
8. Implement a comprehensive, people-centred pharmaceutical policy
9. Phase out health insurance schemes, move towards public-centred Universal Health Care 10. Develop an integrated strategy for social determinants and environmental health.
The brief presentation of policy agenda was followed by detailed responses from each of the Members of parliament, who spoke positively about their positions related to health rights and key health policy issues. Supportive messages to Jan Swasthya Abhiyan from the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, and President of the largest opposition party were also read out during this session.
On 12th Dec. there were further four thematic sessions on these themes -
5. Regulation of Private healthcare and protection of patients’ rights
6. Ensuring Medicines for all
7. Justice and dignity for Health workers
8. Social determinants of health in context of food security, environmental health and climate change
Each of the eight thematic sessions featured panels of grassroots activists, sector specific experts, and representatives of movements who spoke on various dimensions of each theme, including action points to be taken up by JSA in the coming period.
On the afternoon of 12th December the concluding plenary session was held, during first which key action points emerging from each of the eight thematic sessions were presented briefly. These will collectively guide the campaigns and activities by JSA in the coming year.
This was followed by a unique part of the concluding plenary where various activists from India who had participated in the first People’s Health Assembly in 2000, and were now present in the current convention came onto the stage – symbolising 25 years of continued commitment to the health movement. These JSA veterans together released copies of Global Health Watch -7.
This was followed by the reading out and adoption of the People’s Resolution emerging from the convention, in presence of representatives of all JSA constituent national networks and resource organisations. See the resolution at -
https://phmindia.org/2025/12/13/peoples-resolve-national-health-rights-convention
The entire deliberations were interspersed with resonant songs, street plays, and a short film by teams of creative cultural activists, and periodic slogans which further enthused the participants.
States and Union territories from which JSA delegations participated in the convention covered the entire length and breadth of the country and included - Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Networks and national resource organisations which constitute the National coordination committee of JSA, which have all contributed actively to the convention include - All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN), All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), Breast Feeding Promotion Network in India (BPNI), Christian Coalition for Health (CCH), Centre for Community Health and Social Medicine - JNU, Forum for Creche and Child Care Services (FORCES), Federation of Medical Representative Associations of India (FMRAI), Healthwatch Forum, Jan Swasthya Sahayog (JSS), Lok Manch, Medico Friends Circle (MFC), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), Public Health Resource Network (PHRN), Positive Women’s Network (PWN+), Prayas-Rajasthan, SATHI–CEHAT and Society for Community Health Awareness Research and Action (SOCHARA).
It is important to note that this entire mega-event organised by JSA has been managed through huge collective efforts, large scale voluntary donations and contributions from member organisations, without any institutional funding for the event. Practically all the participants travelled on their own resources, and managed their travel from within their organisations or state units.
There is no doubt that this landmark convention on Health rights was not only an excellent milestone to celebrate 25 years journey of the People’s health movement in India, but will also chart the further path of health movements and struggles in India during the years to come. The spirit of the convention is well captured by the overall slogan –
Health is our Right! Healthcare for people, not for profit!