Just as the Paralympics came to a close, members of the International Society for Social Pediatrics practised running on the West Sands beach on St Andrews where the opening scenes of Chariots of Fire was filmed and where local pupils re-enacted the run with the Olympic torch just a few weeks ago. The theme of […]
Category: Global health
Daniele Dionisio: Overhauling the Global Fund
The Global Fund (GF) is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector, and relevant communities as an international financing institution for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria prevention, and treatment programmes. The GF supports national programmes by distributing funds, provided verifiable results are pledged. Since its inception in 2002, the GF has become the […]
Alvaro Bermejo: Removing the social and structural barriers impeding the global HIV response will advance medical efforts no end
This week the world’s largest gathering of HIV experts, policy makers, activists, and people living with HIV will convene in Washington for the 19th International AIDS conference, brimful of optimism at recent biomedical advances and heralding the end of AIDS. At the International HIV/AIDS Alliance we applaud the progress made to stem the epidemic; getting […]
Veena Rao: Should under-nutrition in India be addressed as a population issue?
The time is ripe in India to consider under-nutrition as a population issue, rather than a women and children’s issue, as it is viewed presently by government, governmental advisors and experts, and other stakeholders. Apart from worrisome child under-nutrition indicators and infant, child, and maternal mortality rates, indicators of under-nutrition and anemia among adult males […]
Fran Baum: The conclusion of the Third People’s Health Assembly
The last three plenary sessions of the Third People’s Health Assembly (PHA) were used to debate the People’s Health Movement’s (PHM) strategies and priorities for the future. These sessions enabled the health activists from around the world to build on their experiences, and devise the issues that the PHM will address in coming years. Key […]
Sharon L Camp: Putting family planning back on the global agenda
What will it take to ensure that all women in the developing world can determine for themselves when and if to have a child, have healthy and planned pregnancies, and increase their chances of leading healthier, more productive lives? This week, world leaders gathered at the London Summit on Family Planning to address these questions […]
Annie Neo Parsons: News from the People’s Health Assembly
As the Third People’s Health Assembly (PHA) develops, it’s more and more obvious that global forces impact at a country level. Conversations about WHO reform, universal health coverage, and human resource constraints, among others, gave me an opportunity to reflect on how global forces shape issues at a national level. Some of these were raised […]
Fran Baum blogs from the People’s Health Assembly
Day two of the People’s Health Assembly focused on social and physical environments that destroy or promote health. Brian Ashley, South Africa, spoke eloquently about the shape of the climate crisis and its impact on health. I spoke about the reasons why there is so little action on the social determinants of health equity despite […]
Annie Neo Parsons: Ensuring access to healthcare for all
Health systems around the world are designed for the rich, but our development goals, such as the millenium development goals, are focused on the poor. The solution? Reform our health systems so they work for the poor, in line with the Alma Ata message. Speaking at the opening of the 3rd People’s Health Assembly, organised […]
Fran Baum: Demanding health for all now
The Third People’s Health Assembly got off to a rousing start yesterday with a plenary session addressed by the South African Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, who spoke of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on his country and also by Pat Anderson, chairperson of the Australian Lowitja Institute, who spoke passionately about the struggle […]