[afro-nets] "No More Lies - No More Compromises!"

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

"No More Lies - No More Compromises!"
-------------------------------------

PRESS RELEASE - URGENT

People's Health Movement PHM - re-establish health and equitable
development as top priorities with comprehensive primary health
care

"NO MORE LIES - NO MORE COMPROMISES!"
PHA-2 to demand "Health for All Now!"

The People's Health Assembly-2, 17-22 July, 2005, Cuenca, Ecua-
dor Quito, Ecuador

14 July 2005: Tired of violations of peoples right to health by
corporations and compromises offered by governments, over 1,500
people from all over the world are gathering in Cuenca, Ecuador.

The second People's Health Assembly (PHA-2) will be held in
Cuenca in Ecuador from 17-22 July, 2005. PHA-2 will push for
recognising the right to health by the governments all over the
world and calling for a full stop of the corporate abuse of
health. PHA-2 presents a unique opportunity for solidarity, syn-
ergy and to develop common strategies for future. Delegates are
expected from all over the world - Asia, Africa, Europe, Amer-
ica, Australia. The Assembly also provides an opportunity for
academic debate, reflection and exchange of experiences. The
struggle for health for all is expected to get a big boost. "The
assembly is happening at a time when wars and conflicts and un-
fair trade agreements that boost profits of corporations (known
as 'free' trade agreements) across different regions of the
world frequently demolish peoples' right to health" said Dr.
Arturo Quizphe, professor of paediatrics, University of Cuenca
and the co-ordinator for the assembly.

"The mass mobilisation is unprecedented" said Dr. Prem John, an
organizer of PHA-2 from India.

International launch of the first Global Health Watch Report
(GHW), termed the Alternative World Health Report, will be one
of the highlights of the Assembly. "The GHW is emerging as an
important tool in the fight for global health justice" said
Jaime Breilh, Director, of the Centro de Estudios y Asesoría en
Salud and a leading epidemiologist. The report combines reality
checks with political analyses and is expected to increase ac-
countability and transparency in the global health arena.
"Health is fundamentally related to issues of land alienation,
war and militarization and to the struggles of the indigenous
peoples. Numerous plenaries, forums and cultural events taking
place over the assembly will reflect this" said Dr. Adolfo
Maldonado, the lead researcher on health and environment, Accion
Ecologica, Ecuador. "Our key demand is to put health first. This
assembly will galvanise the aspirations of thousands of health
workers worldwide who have been struggling to make health for
all a reality" said Dr. Unnikrishnan (India), a spokesperson for
the PHM and the assembly. "We will challenge and confront the
forces and empires of corporate greed, disastrous policies of
the international financial institutions and the inaction of
governments and UN institutions" he said. Peoples Health Move-
ment is a coalition of peoples´ organisations, movements, civil
society organisations, health professionals, academics, students
working towards making HEALTH FOR ALL a reality.

Ongoing PHM campaigns include - "Lets Write Peace", "Health NOW!
NO War! NO WTO!"; "Women's Access to Health", "Health for All
NOW! Revive Alma Ata". PHA-1 took place in Savar, Bangladesh in
December 2000 with 1,500 participants from 75 countries. PHA 1
came out with the People's Charter for Health, the manifesto of
the People's Health Movement. The Charter is considered as the
largest consensus document on health.

For media enquiries for PHA-2, please call: +593 919 6 17 12
(Unnikrishnan - unnikru@yahoo.com) or
*     Gloria (Eng and Spanish): 0 9873 9376 (From abroad: dial
+593 9873 9376)
*     Fabiola (Spanish): 0 9453 0115 (From abroad: dial +593
9453 0115)
*     Sanjana / Satya (English): 0 9156 2935 (From abroad: dial
+593 9156 2935) (sanjanab@yahoo.com) http://www.phmovement.org/
and http://www.iphcglobal.org/