Global People’s Health Movement Calls For A New International Economic, Political, And Social Order

By Wim De Ceukelaire and Ana Vračar

Hundreds of
health activists gathered in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in
April to reinvigorate the struggle for health rights. This
fifth global assembly since 2000 underscored the enduring
vibrancy of the People’s Health Movement (PHM), a prime
advocate for health as a human right for
all.

Established after the first People’s Health
Assembly in 2000, PHM is a global network of activists,
social movements, and organisations advocating for health as
a fundamental human right, promoting comprehensive primary
health care, and striving for equitable health
systems.

The fifth People’s Health Assembly featured
plenary sessions, sub-plenaries, and interactive workshops
focused on five key themes: resistance to war, occupation,
and forced migration; traditional ancestral and popular
knowledge; gender justice in health; transformation of
health systems; and ecosystem health.

“At the heart
of our assembly lies the power of people’s movements.
Hearing the testimonies of those at the forefront of
struggle ignites a fire in our collective spirit, reminding
us of the resilience and solidarity that fuels our journey
towards health for all,” said Carmen Baez from the local
organising committee during the opening ceremony.

The
assembly faced challenges due to Argentina’s new Milei
government imposing radical neoliberal policies and the
ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Palestine, which
complicated travel for several
delegations.

Palestinian delegates contributed via
video link, with prominent activist Mustafa Barghouti
detailing the severe impacts of Israeli attacks on the
health system in Gaza. “Today, many countries and free
peoples of the world stand in solidarity with the
Palestinian people in their tragedy and fight alongside our
people to stop the war and support their rights. We ask you
to stand on the side of all the free voices in the world,”
PHM Palestine asked the assembly in a plea that was met with
a standing ovation.

Vivian Camacho, Bolivia’s
National Director of Traditional Medicine, emphasised the
integration of Indigenous perspectives and needs into
Western medical systems. “People’s lives are about our
deep identity and cultural resilience. Traditional ancestral
medicine is about a deep historical cultural resistance to
colonialism, to the violence that has been used against us,
to the usurpation of our territories, to the massacre of our
peoples,” she said.

“Feminist solidarity locates
us in a framework of mutual support,” said Sonia Gutierrez
from the Winaq Political Movement in Guatemala, highlighting
the potential of women’s struggles to contribute to Health
for All. “For the liberation of women, of the peoples who
have been conquered, we must free ourselves from historical
oppression,” she added. The road to achieving such
liberation lies in building a joint social movement
representing the existing achievements of feminist struggles
and will be built upon the solidarity and unity they already
include.

Matheus Falcão from PHM Brazil
highlighted that the assembly not only discussed problems
but also showcased successful struggles in the fight for
health. “In Brazil, we established a system of universal
access to health care, achieved through a process we call
the Health Reform that took place in the 70s and 80s,” he
said. “This is an example of how these achievements are
the fruits of people’s struggle, taking the perspective
of… communities into account.”

More
Struggle, Unity Needed to Achieve Health for All

The
assembly culminated in a Call to Action, developed through a
participatory process and emphasising the need for radical
change to counter the crises of capitalism and imperialism.
The document calls for replacing the capitalist mode of
production, consumption, and life with a system based on
sovereignty, self-determination, equality, and cooperation
between nations.

According to the document, only a
radical change that replaces the mode of production,
consumption, and life generated by capitalism can reverse
the destructive trends of exploitation and extractivism.
“We believe the new economic order should be based on the
sovereignty and self-determination of peoples, and equality
and cooperation between nations, and on solidarity and
peace,” it explained, adding that people’s control and
ownership of the necessities of life needs to be
restored.

Referring to the movement’s theory of
change, the Call to Action states: “Transformation of the
transnational and imperialist capitalist system to a new
international economic, political, and social order will
only happen through the joint action and solidarity of
social movements, progressive political parties, and
nation-states. Class struggle will be a vital part of this
action.”

The Call to Action emphasises
the need for national processes that drive economic,
political, and social transformation, including progressive
reforms in health, education, agroecology, food, energy, and
labor. These reforms aim to reduce or eliminate unjust
inequalities and create an environmentally sustainable
economy. To achieve this, PHM country circles will
collaborate with communities to develop locally appropriate
solutions to counter neoliberalism and
imperialism.

In its conclusion, the Call
to Action aims to unite the health movement with other
progressive social movements, creating a broad front to
establish a new international economic, political, and
social order. The PHM also aims to seek alliances with
political parties and states that promote this new
international economic order.

Author
Bio: Wim De Ceukelaire is a health and social
justice activist and member of the global steering council
of the People’s Health Movement. He is the co-author of
the second edition of The Struggle for Health: Medicine and
the Politics of Underdevelopment with David Sanders and
Barbara Hutton.

Ana Vračar is a health reporter at
the People’s
Health Dispatch, a fortnightly bulletin published by
Peoples Dispatch and the People’s Health Movement. She is
the regional coordinator of PHM Europe and Co-Chair of the
PHM steering council.

Credit Line:
This article was produced by
Globetrotter.

© Scoop Media