Values, Policies and Rights

This article reports on two women who died in the process of using or seeking maternal health services in Uganda. These cases are now subjects of a lawsuit filed in March by the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development, a Ugandan nonprofit group, who contend that the government violated the two women’s right to life by failing to provide them with basic maternal care. Dr. Olive Sentumbwe-Mugisa, a Ugandan obstetrician and adviser with the World Health Organization, participated in the Health Ministry’s investigations of the deaths of the women named in the lawsuit against the government concluded that both women arrived in time to be saved. “We are in a state of emergency as far as maternal services are concerned,” Dr. Sentumbwe-Mugisa said. “We need to focus on the quality of care in our hospitals and address it in the shortest period of time. That will mean more resources. We cannot run away from that.” While the attorney general’s office has responded that replied that “isolated acts” cited in the case “cannot be used to dim the untiring efforts in the Health Sector, ” the authors raise that the case has raised attention and debate, including amongst lawmakers, to the way government has spent its funds more widely, including on military equipment, given the poor improvement in maternal health services.

For the empowerment of women to make a real difference in the promotion of peace, the discussion needs to shift from one of competing forces to one of cooperation and collaboration, according to this article. Feminist scholars argue that both men and women possess characteristics that are considered, for lack of more refined language, masculine as well as feminine. The difference lies in the way we are socialised. We grow up being taught to behave in a particular way due to what society perceives gender differences to mean and to require. Social norms compel us to reinforce these perceptions and expectations, and then to undermine them when we use those very perceptions and expectations to blame one gender for being collaborative rather than competitive, accommodating rather than uncompromising, submissive rather than aggressive, gentle rather than violent. This article argues that it is in peace education and peace studies that a more meaningful perspective on gender equality has been developed. Such a perspective might enable leaders to promote uMunthu (belief that all humans are connected and therefore deserve respect), peace and social justice at the local and global level, making them much more relevant to the majority of people around the world.

In response to the Rio Political Declaration at the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health held from 19-21 October in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) delegation raised issues that the Declaration failed to address. In their statement, they recognise the Rio Declaration as a major step in the quest for global health equity, but point to its failure to explicitly indicate how the unfair distribution of power, resources and wealth will be addressed, especially by United Nations (UN) Member States, arguing that leaders have missed an opportunity to make a strong statement on this. IFMSA believes that democracy is the key instrument in fixing the existing imbalances in power and in ultimately reducing health inequities, but the Declaration does not emphasise the value of democracy in all processes – from decision-making to evaluation – and at all levels – from community to global level. IFMSA also notes that the Declaration fails to specifically define the role of the private sector in reducing health inequities and does not clearly draw the lines governing engagement between government and the private sector, nor does it demand that global economic governance institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank, adhere to the same standards of transparency, accountability and democracy as those urged of UN Member States. In addition, the Declaration is silent about how tackling health inequities will be financed, making no mention of innovative financing schemes such as progressive taxation on capital gains or extremely-high earners, a financial transactions tax or the prevention of tax evasion. Although the Declaration recognises the importance of engaging with civil society, it does not advocate for the creation of spaces for dynamic dialogue that will enable civil society to be heard, reflecting the fact that civil society was excluded from the official process of developing the Declaration. Finally, IMFSA notes that the Declaration does not explicitly mention the inclusion of young people and youth organisations in the movement for action on social determinants of health.

This report argues that Ghana is reported to be violating the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights when people with mental disorders are subjected to prayer camps that advocate complete isolation, being chained to trees, and forced exorcism for demonic possession, and fails to provide services for mentally illness. The author suggests that mental health problems often stem from poor nutrition, depressed socioeconomic status, and elevated, persistent violence. Despite the widespread presence of these factors mental heath problems like depression or undiagnosed schizophrenia are often ignored in health policy agendas in Africa. The author proposes that mental health be recognised as a human right, coupled with de-stigmatisation of mental health disorders, and resource allocation for treatment.