PHA-Exch> PHM, WHA and Geneva Forum May 2008: report

["Claudio Schuftan" <cschuftan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: prem_john@xxxxxxxx <prem_john@xxxxxxxx>

For PHM, Geneva had three distinct phases - 1. Pre-WHA, 2. WHA and 3. Post WHA.

1. Pre-WHA -  the 18th of May seminar went off well, was reasonably attended, even if ALL were fellow travellers, the inputs by the presenters and the reactions from the participants were more than satisfactory. PHM was highly profiled.

For consideration: PHM's presence was limited to seven or eight people and everyone who was there is in tune with PHM.  Next year and after that, perhaps more active pre-WHA work that is mainly sponsord by PHM should be planned and needs not to be limited to one day. If we are spending so much to bring people in, we must get the most out of it/them. 

2. WHA - We should have much more structured and strategically planned interventions into the WHA process. Making people's voices  heard at the highest decision making levels should be our priority, but intervening / moderating / suitably modifying the "official voices" should also be in our sights. This means:

A. working closely with TWN, WCC and our own PHM Geneva circle from NOW onwards. If we are serious about the task of intervention (EC, DG'soffice etc.,) we should start now, state our priorities, our advocacy points and plan strategies.

B. Such an early start would also give us the opportunity of working on country delegations from now onwards - the Ministers of Health, the Directors General, the Secretaries for Heath and such and provide specific inputs, considered opinions, literature, evidence and such so that they are adequately reasonably "informed" of civil society worries before coming to Geneva in 2009.

C. This would also mean preparing appropriate literature (PHM has some of the best in its ranks for this task), making brochures, booklets etc., (for example on trade treaties and their effect on health) in order to 'educate' the powers that be. TWN and WCC are capable of providing the thrust areas and strategic points of intervention.

3. Post WHA -  as PHM we must meet  after WHA to debrief, see what were the successes, the lacunae etc., of our initiatives and interventions in order to prepare for the next year. To be reasonably accountable, we need to make our strategic plan for the next WHA at this juncture, leaving of course the road to flexibility open.

The Geneva Health Forum - Good publicity, good cross section of participants, but questionable whether PHM shouild be officially involved. Worried the Forum was sponsored  officially by corporations we are uncomfortable with. For example, IAPMA, the pharmaceutical manufacturers' group was given the opportunity of saying what great benefits the industry has provided to Africa and to the selfless eradication of guinea worm, Malaria etc. But in the same session,  David Sanders gave a graphic account of the African health debacle. Conference organizers argue that hundreds of Africans received travelships to attend from tose sponsorships.  Even with the opportunity given to PHM to highly profile itself, we should consider this situation carefully before again engaging with the forum.