Asia

The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) wishes to express its deep concern regarding recent extensive reports in the media, which have highlighted the all-pervading nature of corruption in the health sector. JSA would like to recall and reiterate the main features of corruption in the private sector in health care and call upon the government to act firmly against this. Such corruption leads to huge increases in the costs of care, causes impoverishment and compromises health outcomes for individuals and for society.

Attached is the summary of the discussions and key decisions from the two -day meeting on ‘Emerging issues and action plan for nationalization of health care and reorienting health activism’ held on 11^th and 12^th May, 2014 at ISI, Bangalore by JAAK (the People's Health Movement Karnatake India)

Today across India, people continue to suffer and die unnecessarily due to poor access to affordable and effective health care and due to a range of social and economic determinants that promote ill-health and disease. Approximately 1.83 million children under five years of age die each year in India. This is the highest number anywhere in the world.One-third of all malnourished children live in India.

Ravi Duggal, advocate and health care activist speaks to dna on Medical Council of India's bizarre decision to keep doctor bodies out of medical code of ethics. Duggal who is part of the People's Health Movement, said that the MCI decision will lead to widespread corruption and have a negative impact on India's healthcare system.

The Peoples’ Health Movement (PHM) and Womens’ Action for Social Justice jointly held the above Symposium on Thursday, 13 February 2014 in Colombo. It was very well attended and carried on in a successful manner.

It was explained why we thought of holding such a Seminar and informed that Sri Lanka is presently undergoing disturbances for religious harmony. It was informed that we, belonging to a Movement working for Peace, it is of utmost importance that we intervene in this situation.

The Lancet—University of Oslo Commission on Global Governance for Health' has been released.

This report examines power disparities and dynamics across a range of policy areas that aff ect health and that require improved global governance: economic crises and austerity measures, knowledge and intellectual property, foreign investment treaties, food security,transnational corporate activity, irregular migration, and violent conflict.

PHM Philippines was part of an assembly where around 10,000 people from the towns affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Northern Samar and Leyte provinces came to Tacloban City last January 24-25 to launch their alliance called People Surge.

People’s Health Movement, Sri Lanka (PHMSL) held the above Symposium on 11 January 2014 with their member organizations which was held at the Nagarodaya Centre, Borella, Colombo 8. The hall was fully packed and all the participants listened to the proceedings enthusiastically. Dr Vinya Ariyaratne took the chair.

Speaking in Karnataka, Madhuri Krishnaswami fore-grounded the broader understanding of health to include social determinants of health and drew attention to how lack of health and health care is rendering the lives of not just the poor and marginalized, but also the middle class fragile and vulnerable.

India, Karnataka State, District: Tumkur

This action of PHM-Philippines against the TPPA took place at the gates of the WHO Regional Office along U.N. Avenue, Manila. Below are photos of the mobilization and CLICK HERE for the link to their press release, which was also published at the Medical Observer Online.

The new PHM Sri Lanka Newsletter is out! Find out more about

• Launch of GHW3
• Workshop in Report Writing as part of a Project Proposal Writing workshop
• Workshop on the impact of Arsenic and Pesticide on human health
• Activities and developments of Lanka Plus organisation

CLICK HERE for the full newsletter in PDF!