PHM 2025 annual report: Stronger Together: A Global Movement for Health, Equity, and Peace
Twenty-five years ago, 1,200 health activists gathered in Savar, Bangladesh, with a bold vision: that health is a fundamental human right, not a commodity. "Health for All, Now!" was the rallying call of the movement born at that first People's Health Assembly (PHA) — the People's Health Movement (PHM).
In 2025, as we celebrated our 25th anniversary, we reaffirmed that our struggle is more urgent and relevant than ever. From the streets of Mumbai to the hospitals of Gaza, PHM remains a vital force confronting privatisation, militarisation, corporate power, and the deep inequalities that continue to shape health outcomes across the world.
Today, PHM spans more than 70 countries, more than half of which are represented in this report. Together, they demonstrate that our movement is alive, active, and indispensable. This anniversary year was marked not only by celebration, but also by reflection and renewed commitment. We honoured the pioneers who built this movement and whose vision continues to guide us. Their legacy lives on in every campaign we organise, every community health worker we support, and every struggle for health justice we join.
Across the world, that struggle remains fierce. In India, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) mobilised more than 550 activists from 24 states to challenge hospital privatisation. In South Africa, we revitalised Clinic Committees to strengthen public accountability in the National Health Insurance process. In Colombia, we helped organise the largest mobilisation in the country's history in solidarity with Palestine, while in Zambia and Malawi, we supported successful campaigns to unionise thousands of Community Health Workers. From the Global Sumud Flotilla challenging the siege on Gaza to the Nyéléni Forum in Sri Lanka linking food sovereignty and health justice, our actions connect local realities with global movements for change.
Gender justice remains central to our vision of Health for All. Throughout the year, we strengthened our work on gender-based violence and its devastating health consequences, advocated for access to safe abortion as a fundamental component of reproductive health and rights, and denounced obstetric violence in all its forms. We also spoke out against the disproportionate impact of war and armed conflict on women and children, recognising that peace, dignity and health are inseparable.
At the same time, we invested in the future of the movement. Through the International People's Health University, we trained a new generation of activists and health advocates. We launched Global Health Watch 7, continuing our tradition of critical analysis and collective action. We expanded the Public Pharma movement, demonstrating that alternatives to profit-driven health systems are not only necessary, but already being built.
As we turn the page to 2026, we carry the torch of our founders with pride and determination. Ready to defend the right to health against all odds, we know that another world is possible. The movement is here, it is strong, and, at 25, it is just getting started.