Introduction of PHM-Kenya
(By Eunice Owino, Centre for Women Empowerment in Technology – Homabay) The People's Health Movement is a Global Network that brings together different organizations in different countries. The movement brings Health Activists, Civil Organizations, Academic Institutions, Researchers, human rights defenders, and public health professionals concerned with growing health inequalities and motivated by the call "Health for All – NOW”. The main issues discussed in PHM Global are around primary healthcare. Looking at issues affecting healthcare starting from the grassroots level, and also talking of social empowerment and economic determiners of Health. PHM Kenya works to track, defend and promote the realization of the right to HEALTH FOR ALL, as written in Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya. Background of PHM 5 Eunice informed the participants that PHM is celebrating 20 years as a movement. She reiterated that PHM was formed in the year 1972 in Bangladesh where 8 organizations came together and decided to form a charter which was endorsed as a movement in the year 2000.The movement would bring the entire global to champion issues on health. The 8 organizations that came together then were;
1. International Peoples Health Council
2. The Consumer International
3. Health Action International
4. Third World Network
5. Women Global Network for Reproductive Rights
6. Asian Community Health Action Network
7. Dag Hammarskjold Foundation
8. Gonoshasthaya Kendra.
The organizations affirmed that health is a social, economic, and political issue but above all
a fundamental human right.
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