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About the People's Health Movement

"Primary Health Care was and still is the correct pathway for us all. Let´s listen to these communities. How many times do we allow them to be part of their development? Genuine people-centred initiatives must be strengthened to increase pressure on decision-makers, governments and the private sector to ensure that the vision of Alma-Ata becomes a reality."

Dr. Upunda, Chief Medical Officer Ministry of Health, Tanzania, April 2002, opening a People´s Health Movement workshop in Tanzania

"More than 50 per cent of the people in my country have virtually no access to health care. It´s high time the public sector and the private sector focused on jointly providing health services to all sections of society."

Dr Hugo Icu, Guatemala, January 2004

"I believe in people. People´s health is safest in people´s hand. The objective is to empower individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve health for themselves."

Dr John Oommen, Orissa, India, May 2003

"I am here to show solidarity with fellow activists. There is a need to create a critical mass of people for changing the deteriorating health, social and gender situation."

Dr. Mira Shiva, All-India Drug Action Network, PHA, December 2000

The People´s Health Movement (PHM) has its roots deep in the grassroots people's movement and owes its genesis to many health networks and activists who have been concerned by the growing inequities in health over the last 25 years. The PHM calls for a revitalisation of the principles of the Alma-Ata Declaration which promised Health for All by the year 2000 and complete revision of international and domestic policy that has shown to impact negatively on health status and systems.

Vision

"Equity, ecologically-sustainable development and peace are at the heart of our vision of a better world - a world in which a healthy life for all is a reality; a world that respects, appreciates and celebrates all life and diversity; a world that enables the flowering of people's talents and abilities to enrich each other; a world in which people's voices guide the decisions that shape our lives...."

People's Charter for Health

Objectives

  • To promote the Health for All goal through an equitable, participatory and inter-sectoral movement and as a Rights Issue.
  • To encourage government and other health agencies to ensure universal access to quality health care, education and social services according to people's needs and not people's ability to pay.
  • To promote the participation of people and people's organisations in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all health and social policies and programmes.
  • To promote health along with equity and sustainable development as top priorities in local, national and international policymaking.
  • To encourage people to develop their own solutions to local health problems.
  • To hold accountable local authorities, national governments, international organisations and corporations.

Structure

The People's Health Movement is coordinated by a global secretariat and is supported by a steering group consisting of the representatives of regional focal points and the 8 organisations and networks that cosponsored the first People's Health Assembly:

The movement is organised through Geographical circles at country and regional level and Issue based dialogue circles that are linked though local, national and international level campaigns.

More background about PHM:

The Peoples Health Movement: A People’s Campaign for Health for All - Now!

About the PHM's global secretariat:

PHM global secretariat shifts from Bangalore, India to Cairo, Egypt

Who's who in PHM's new global secretariat

Awards

In 2003, Dr. Ravi Narayan, Ms. Mwajuma Masaiganah and Ms. Maria Hamlin Zuniga, representing PHM from Asia, Africa and Latin America, received the AIFO Follereau Award for human rights for PHM's work in safe-guarding the right to health. (Click to enlarge.)