Globalization of Health Solidarity from Below

Evidence from the global south and north countries increasingly point to the negative effects of the present models of globalization and the economic, political and social priorities encouraged by it, on health of people, health care, health systems, health equity and health policy. In all these situations health inequity seems to be increasing within and between countries. (1, 2 & 3).

Academics have described these policies as not only being prescriptive but also thrust from the top through the agency of international organizations, global partnerships and centralized national level planning processes. The resistance from people and communities to the globalization of ill health and inequity is described as a ‘globalization of health solidarity from below’ (4-7).

Globalization of Health Solidarity from Below (Academics describe civil society engagement with policy)

• This movement is engaged in what amounts to 'globalization from below' as it builds support for its global "Health For All Now' strategy lobbies at the global level and mobilizes a grassroots based campaign to realize the vision and achieve the goals of peoples charter for health (4)
• The simultaneous rise of global civil society movements pressing for political actions to shift the rules of contemporary globalization is significant (5)
• A strong voice in the global health debate for free primary health care is the people’s health movement which in 2000, presented the people’s health charter. The charter argues strongly for publically financed services and for development of policies that favors health. (6)
• Recognizes the movements role in evolving the new health and human rights approach to primary health care- with the necessity of tackling the broader social and political determinants of health (7).

Reference:

1. Peoples Health Movement, Medact, Global Equity Gauge Alliance, Unisa Press, Zed Books. Global Health Watch-1. New York, Zed Books 2005. http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/ghw.pdf

2. Peoples Health Movement, Medact, Global Equity Gauge Alliance, Global Health Watch 2 an Alternative world health report. New York: [Online] Global Health Watch; 2008. http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/ghw2.pdf [Accessed 26th September 2014]

3. Peoples Health Movement, Medact, Global Equity Gauge Alliance, Unisa Press, Zed Books. Global Health Watch-3. New York, Zed Books.2011.http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/global%20health%20watch%203.pdf [Accessed 5th Sept 2014]

4. Harris LR, Seid JM. Globalization and Health: Risks, Responses and Alternatives. In: Harris LR, Seid JM, editors. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. Boston: Brill; 2004. 245-269.

5. Schrecker T, Labonte R. What's Politics Got to do it? Health, the G8, and the Global Economy. In: Kawachi I, Wamala SP, editors. Globalization and Health. New York: Oxford; 2006. 284-310.

6. Lindstrand A, etal. What is Development? In: Lindstrand A, Bergstrom S, Rosling H, Rubenson B, Stenson B, Tylleskar T, editors. Global Health: An Introductory Text Book. Studentlitteratur; 2006. 9-52.

7. Pan American Health Organization. Renewing Primary Health Care in the Americas. 1-48, 2007. PAHO-WHO. A Position Paper of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). http://www1.paho.org/English/AD/THS/PrimaryHealthCare.pdf [accessed 26th September 2014].