[afro-nets] Shaping Global Health Watch 2

[Bridget Lloyd <bridget@hst.org.za>]

Shaping Global Health Watch 2
-----------------------------

Dear Friends,

We would like to invite a first round of comments and inputs to
the second edition of the Global Health Watch.

The broad structure of GHW2 will follow that of GHW1: Section A
focussed on the macro politics and economics of global health;
Section B focussed on health care sector topics; Section C fo-
cussed on topics beyond the health care sector; and Section D
focussed on the monitoring of key institutions, organisations or
processes.

In contrast to GHW1, we are proposing that GHW2 will incorporate
positive examples of pro-equity health development within all
Sections. In addition, we are looking at how GHW2 can express
the specific developments of particular countries. One sugges-
tion has been to link GHW2 to the recently launched Right to
Health campaign which would incorporate country reports on the
right to health.

In GHW1 we had a separate chapter on ?vulnerable groups? (in-
digenous peoples and disabled people). We are proposing that
GHW2 mainstream these issues and gender (as with GHW1) as cross-
cutting themes in all chapters. However, in GHW2, we also want
to consider how to communicate in a more direct form the voices
of communities themselves, possibly through a series of human
interest stories woven into chapters, or through an accompanying
process or document.

The GHW was set up as an initiative to provide a platform for
mobilizing different constituencies and NGOs around a shared
global health agenda. Consideration will therefore also be given
to areas of research and action that collaborating organisations
are already working on. The Watch is also designed to act as a
platform to catalyse, support and help legitimise the idea of
civil society monitoring relevant organisations and institu-
tions. Any individual or organisation wanting to suggest a con-
tribution to GHW2 in the form of a report on the actions, poli-
cies and performance of a relevant institution or organisation
would be encouraged.

At this stage, we want to encourage as many ideas as possible.
We will probably be unable to incorporate all suggestions or
written material into the final hard copy GHW2 publication, but
we are intending to use the GHW website as a platform to include
a wider range of submissions that do not make their way into the
actual book.

This alternative health report is for anyone in broad agreement
with the philosophy and political perspective of the Global
Health Watch which is outlined in the introductory chapter of
GHW1.

Please send your comments and suggestions to
mailto:ghw@hst.org.za by  the 17th February 2006.


Thank you

Bridget Lloyd
GHW2 Co-ordinator
mailto:bridget@hst.org.za


--
Proposed themes / topics for GHW2

GHW2 will seek to illustrate positive/innovative examples and
alternatives as well as human interest stories, within each sec-
tion. It is also proposed that the right to health be integrated
throughout the chapters.

Section A: Overarching political and economic global issues

GHW2 will need to build upon the powerful chapter on globalisa-
tion in GHW1. Some suggested ideas for a follow-up chapter in-
clude:

1. A description and critique of the strategies and mechanisms
(economic and political) of ?development?:

1.1 A critique of the dominant concept of development. What is
considered to be progress? What health-harming manifestations of
development have become acceptable as part of the dominant para-
digm e.g. cars, diet etc.
1.2 Critiquing specifically the World Development Report of the
World Bank. Pay more focussed attention to the measurement of
global poverty;
1.3 A focus on the accumulation and concentration of wealth (as
a juxtaposition to the breadth of poverty);
1.4 Critiquing specifically the World Development Report of the
World BankPay more focussed attention to the measurement of
global povertyThe control and dispossession of vital and strate-
gic natural resources;
1.5 A look at other trade agreements, including bilateral and
regional trade agreements;
1.6 Look at ?corruption? more specifically given the extent to
which corruption is used as an excuse for limiting aid and de-
velopment, as well as its role in undermining aid and develop-
ment.

2. A summary of the platform of the opposites to this paradigm
and proposals to alternatives

2.1 A more focussed critique of the process, governance and out-
comes of the Make Poverty History campaign;
2.2 A summary of the success or otherwise of the Doha round of
trade negotiations (claimed to have been a ?development round?
of trade talks);
2.3 Potential and possible mechanisms for the redistribution of
corporate wealth;
2.4 Looking at progress towards the development of new sources
of international finance for health and poverty alleviation
(e.g. currency transaction tax, aviation tax etc.);
2.5 A look at other trade agreements ­ including bilateral and
regional trade agreements A critique of the dominant concept of
development... What is considered to be progress? What health-
harming manifestations of development have become acceptable as
part of the dominant paradigm... e.g. cars, diet etc. Develop-
ment of an alternative paradigm in Latin America (e.g. Vene-
zuela, Cuba, Brazil) and elsewhere.

Looking at progress towards the development of new sources of
international finance for health and poverty alleviation (e.g.
currency transaction tax, aviation tax etc.) Look at ?corrup-
tion? more specifically given the extent to which corruption is
used as an excuse for limiting aid and development, as well as
its role In GHW1, this section took the form of a single, long
chapter. We are at present leaning towards two chapters, broadly
as outlined above, for this section.

Section B: Health Care Sector

The Right to Health is the unifying thread underpinning the
various components of this section. Much of the political and
philosophical framework will be laid out in Chapter 1

1. The right to health care and human rights

1.1 Demography, population control, sexual and reproductive
health (Demography and population control were issues not really
covered in GHW1)
1.2 Medicines and intellectual property rights (there is a sug-
gestion that this is an on- going theme which will need to be
tracked over time)
1.3 New technologies and possible impacts (i.e. developing fur-
ther some of the themes raised by the chapter on gene technology
in GHW1)
1.4 Mental health
1.5 Access to health care for migrants
1.6 Human Resources for Health, focusing on issues not covered
in GHW1 e.g. production/training; appropriateness of mix (need
for mid-level workers and CHW?s)

2. A specific focus on Africa?s health crisis

2.1 HIV/AIDS: keeping up the momentum; mainstreaming
2.2 Re-emerging old epidemics e.g. malaria, TB and their con-
trast with new epidemics such as bird flu
2.3 New epidemics of squalid urbanization (non communicable dis-
eases & violence)

3. Health care systems ­ there needs to be a continuing focus on
the many issues raised in the chapter in GHW1. Medicines and in-
tellectual property rights ­ there is a suggestion that this is
an on-going theme which will need to be tracked over time. New
technologies and possible impacts (i.e. developing further some
of the themes raised by the chapter on gene technology in GHW1);
Demography and population control ­ an issue that was not really
covered in GHW1. Re-emerging old epidemics - e.g. malaria;
HIV/AIDS: keeping up the momentum; mainstreaming Mental health;
The right to health care and human rights. A specific focus on
Africa?s health crisis; A special focus on health and health
care in the former Soviet Union.

4. Access to health care for migrants Traditional systems of
medicine

Section C: Beyond Health Care

These are the issues that have been suggested, the final deci-
sion as to what will be included will depend on the interest of
organizations and individuals with relevant expertise who are
already working on these issues and wish to contribute to the
GHW.

Not covered in GHW1:
1. Housing / urbanization: de-ruralisation and the building of
slums (resulting in the increasing dependence on Western foods
and lifestyles and the consequent emergence of new epidemics)
2. Labour and deregulation and its impact on health of work-
forces
3. Sport and health: the under-development of sport for health
and the extension of sport as a corporate business

Covered in GHW1 (would need to be expanded on or have a new fo-
cus):
1. Food security and power over food supplies and seed stocks
2. Climate change and the effects of global warming (continuing
on from GHW1)
3. Water (continuing on from GHW1)
4. The arms trade (continuing on from GHW1)

Section D: Watching

This section will include material on some of the organizations
below. As with Section C the decision as to what will be in-
cluded will depend to some extent on capacity and interest of
contributors.

- WHO (international and regional offices), policies and pro-
grams; Commission on Social Determinants of Health
- UNICEF
- Global Fund
- Child Survival Partnership
- Ellison Institute
- IFI?s (The World Bank and health; The IMF and health)
- PPP's - a couple in detail
- WTO
- ILO and labour organizations
- US as a threat to global health: national and foreign poli-
cies, attack on scientists, WHO hamstrung by the US, US power
constrained by the rest of the world
- The role of the media: how is health deconstructed and por-
trayed in the mainstream media

This section may be supplemented by ?mini-watches? developed by
regions/countries to monitor local offices of institutions (e.g.
WHO) or the effects of regional policies (e.g. trade agree-
ments).

Section E: The Right to Health Campaign

This chapter may be integrated throughout the Sections or may be
developed as a Chapter on its own. Whether it is a section on
its own, or integrated within each section, it will discuss the
development of a human rights basis to ensuring access to health
care for all, and might draw out some conclusions from various
country reports on the state of ?rights to health care? that are
being prepared.