Day Four Report
Feedback for Day Three
Shelli shared the evaluation report for day three.
There were positive as well as negative feedback from the participants. Overall they felt the topics covered were relevant and useful.
Dr. Ravi Duggal’s presentation giving the Indian perspective on the National health system was much appreciated as it was contextualized with reality. However participants felt that the data needed to be updated.
Case studies presented were applicable and informative.
Some sessions were partly deliberated in Hindi which most participants found very useful.
They also felt that a cross cultural presentation comparing the countries would have been very useful.
Using the Rights Frame Work
This session was facilitated by Armando De Negri Filho.
The learning objectives of the session were:
• to make the participants familiar with the definitions of Right to Health in the UN Declarations of human rights and the latest documents,
• to learn the basis of health right for developing the health sector,
• to gain confidence when analyzing health issues and
• to learn about the PHM’s right to health campaign.
Armando gave an overview of International laws and recommendations made in the last decade concerning right to health, followed by a brief introduction to the Indian Law and its provision to protect Health as a human right.
The indivisible triad was introduced with the in-depth political debate around the human rights approach for health. The indivisible triad consists of Universality, Comprehensive and Equity.
Each of the components of the indivisible triad was explained and small group task for today was focused on the applicability of the components in daily and strategic projects and national health systems.
Rest of the session consisted of a broad explanation of “The Right to Health care campaign†by Laura at Savar, Bangladesh.
In this presentation the importance and the meaning of declaration /treaties and human rights in practice were explained to us.
This was followed by an introduction to the PHM’s right to health plat form and the global health system crisis.
The Global health system crisis provided a broader understanding of the global scenario and the issues facing health systems in developing and developed countries worldwide.
The session ended with an introduction to the small group tasks for the day.
Small Group Work
The five groups used the definition and concepts of universality, comprehensiveness and equity to design the projects which were based on issues taken up on the first day.
o Rights approach to health
o Trade and health (perhaps including access to medicines and GATS
o Family planning, reproductive health and foeticide
o Tribal peoples: health and health care
o Community participation in health and health care (including health education for PRIs)
Lunch
Environment
Dr. Mira Shiva presented on the topic Health and environment. This session was chaired by Dr. Narendra Gupta.
Dr. Mira began her presentation with the emphasis on the relation of health and environment. She talked on the various ecological problems and imbalance which ultimately leads to affecting health, especially on the poor section of the people. To relate the gravity of this problem she illustrated various incidents and instances of case studies and reports of deaths due to natural calamities and human inflicted calamities due to use of pesticides and chemicals which results in various problems related to reproductive health and cancer. Further she had mentioned the Bhopal gas tragedy. In all of these incidents and instances numerous studies and research was carried out to evaluate the gravity of the situation but many a times the reports of such studies remain unpublished and reported due to the proximity of the negative impact on the responsible agency and companies. Therefore she stated that in all these factors the political as well as the economic power play of the self interested groups come into play leading to anti social elements.
Dr. Mira further illustrated more case studies related to endosulphan in Kasargode, a hamlet in kerala. Also she talked on the danger of creating imbalance in the ecology due to the danger of exploitation of water and other contaminated sources due to improper system of sewage and disposal of hospital waste, industrial effluents and toxic chemicals polluting the water sources. All these contamination leads to various ill health like the spread and outbreaks of cholera and hepatitis. Besides these she also had talked about the issues of Bio- safety (GMOs/GE), the irrational and hazardous plants. In relation to all these she had stated instances of the various movements and campaigns to stop all these antisocial elements and practices which lead to mass destruction and especially the health of the people.
She further went on to talk about the change in climate and global warming which has serious negative impacts on the public health. In relation to all these Dr. Mira illustrated on the various international treaties to protect environment and also the impact of International Trade Regime on environment and health. She concluded by illustrating other health and environment related movements and campaigns specifically on the right to food, right to land and right to livelihood.
Reports from practice
The next session was on the reports from practices (working with difference).
In this session the discussion was on the issue of the conflict area of Chhattisgarh with reference to the naxalites, the origin of the Salwa Judum and the arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen, a doctor by profession and an activist by passion. This session was facilitated by one of the participants, Mr. Virendra Nayak, from Orissa. He deliberated on the issue of the naxalites and the origin of the salwajudum in Chhattisgarh particularly in Dantewada district leading to a chaotic situation and the problems being faced by the villagers of the district. Then the deliberation led on to the case of the arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen and the trials that had taken place. To this, friends from Chhattisgarh Mr. Ashis Ranganath and Mr. Omprakash Burman also had supplemented on the issue of the problems being faced by the people and especially how it had affected the day to day life and its implications on people’s health. And, not only this but also, the problems being faced by the health workers working in this area.
Dr. Mira and Dr. Narendra also had highlighted the issue of Dr. Binayak Sen’s arrest which had serious implications and adverse effects on his family and also his colleague friends who had been working hand in hand advocating for rights based issues. In conclusion, as a follow up for this issue, the house unanimously decided to find out ways to show solidarity and advocate for his release.
Public Lectures
Following this the participants proceeded to Patel Bhavan, HCM-RIPA for a hearing of Public Lecture on ‘Equity and Health Rights in the Era of Globalization’ by Dr. David Legge and Dr. Armando De Negri.
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