Some thirty-five civil society organisations have voiced serious concerns over the World Health Organization's publications policy, arguing that the proposed policy, if implemented, will result in a tendency towards self-censorship by the WHO and its staff and HQ offices, to the detriment of the needs and interests of public health, especially in developing countries. They are also very concerned that this policy will hamper timely advice and support by WHO HQ and regional offices to member states over important issues such as application of intellectual property rights and the use of TRIPS flexibilities, other trade and health matters, reproductive health care and other critical issues.
Values, Policies and Rights
Activists voice concern over WHO's publications policy
Afronets, 30 May 2007
Adult and young women communication on sexuality: a pilot intervention in Maputo-Mozambique
Frederico M; Arnaldo C; Michielsen K; Decat P: Reproductive Health 16(144) 1-12, 2019
With young women increasingly exposed to sexualized messages, they are argued to need clear, trustful and open communication on sexuality more than ever. However, in Mozambique, communication about sexuality is hampered by strict social norms. This paper evaluates an intervention aimed at reducing the generational barrier in talking about sexuality to contribute to better communication within the family context. The intervention consisted of three weekly one-hour coached sessions in which female adults and young people interacted about sexuality. Realist evaluation was used as a framework to assess context, mechanisms and outcomes of the intervention. Interviews were conducted among 13 participants of the sessions. The interaction sessions were positively appreciated by the participants and contributed to a change in norms and attitudes towards communication on sexuality within families. Recognition of similarities and awareness of differences were key in the mechanisms leading to these outcomes. This was reinforced by the use of visual materials and the atmosphere of respect and freedom of speech that characterized the interactions. Limiting factors were related to the long-standing taboo on sexuality and existing misconceptions on sexuality education and talks about sex. By elucidating mechanisms and contextual factors, the study adds knowledge on strategies to improve transgenerational communication about sexuality.
Advancing Access to SRHRs - Commemoration of The International day for maternal health and Rights
Nkoobe F: Centre for Health, Human Rights & Development, 2018
On 11th April 2018, Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights under the Theme: “Rights Based Approach to Maternal Health in Uganda: No Woman Should Die Giving Birth.” Civil Society, led by Center for Health, Human, Rights and Development (CEHURD), and other stakeholders including policy makers marched from the Independence Monument to Parliament where a dialogue with Members of Parliament was held to collectively find sustainable solutions to the alarming maternal mortality rate. Civil Society used dialogue to petition Parliament in demand for the implementation of the resolution that was passed by the house on December 15, 2011 urging Government to institute measures to address Maternal Mortality in Uganda. Among these included tasking government through the Ministry of Health to strictly enforce maternal health audits and take actions to the established causes, together with developing a policy of compensation to the families of all women who die as a result of maternal related cases through government facilities.
Advancing child-sensitive social protection
Institute of Development Studies, International Labour Organization, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), HelpAge International and Hope & Homes for Children: United Nations Children's Fund, 2010
This joint statement from a range of international development organisations argues that regular, predictable social transfers (cash or in kind) from governments to communities can reduce child poverty and vulnerability by helping to ensure children get access to basic social services. Social insurance offers access to health care for children, as well as services to support communities to reach all households and individuals, including children. The statement propose steps that governments and international development partners can take to further social protection in the interests of children, such as ensuring that existing social protection policies and programmes are child-sensitive and setting priorities and sequence policy development and implementation to progressively realise a basic social protection package that is accessible to all those in need. The statement calls for governments and donors to seek to improve fiscal space and increase available resources for child-sensitive social protection programmes, while making broader efforts to build awareness, political will, capacity and intersectoral coordination. Adequate investment is required, and links should be built between transfers and social services to ensure the reach, effectiveness and impact of social protection. At the same time, ongoing research, monitoring and evaluation are needed to better understand effective programme design and implementation, as well as how child-sensitive approaches can benefit the wider community and national development.
Advancing the right to health through global organisations: The potential role of a Framework Convention on Global Health
Friedman EA, Gostin LO, Buse K: Health and Human Rights 15(1): 71-86, June 2013
In this article, the authors examine how major global health organisations, such as WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNAIDS, and GAVI approach human rights concerns, including equality, accountability and inclusive participation. The authors use examples of best practice to indicate how such agencies can advance the right to health, covering nine areas: 1) participation and representation in governance processes; 2) leadership and organizational ethos; 3) internal policies; 4) norm-setting and promotion; 5) organisational leadership through advocacy and communication; 6) monitoring and accountability; 7) capacity building; 8) funding policies; and 9) partnerships and engagement. The proposed UN Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH) would commit state parties to support these standards through their board membership and other interactions with these agencies. The authors also explain how the FCGH could incorporate these organisations into its overall financing framework, initiate a new forum where they collaborate with each other, as well as organisations in other regimes, to advance the right to health, and ensure sufficient funding for right to health capacity building.
Advancing the right to health: the vital role of law
Magnusson R: World Health Organization, Geneva, 2017
This report aims to raise awareness about the role that the reform of public health laws can play in advancing the right to health and in creating the conditions for people to live healthy lives. By encouraging a better understanding of how public health law can be used to improve the health of the population, the report aims to encourage and assist governments to reform their public health laws in order to advance the right to health. The report highlights important issues that may arise during the process of public health law reform. It provides guidance about issues and requirements to be addressed during the process of developing public health laws. It also includes case studies and examples of legislation from a variety of countries to illustrate effective law reform practices and some features of effective public health legislation.
Advocates on International Women's day highlight discrimination, need to end impunity for sexual violence
Nichols: Reuters, 11 March 2007
Advocates worldwide on International Women's Day on Thursday highlighted issues such as gender equality, discrimination and the need for justice for survivors of sexual violence, Reuters reports. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that although world leaders reaffirmed the importance of gender equality in "almost all countries, women continue to be under-represented in decision-making positions." He also said that the majority of the more than 100 million children who are not in school are girls and that women's "work continues to be undervalued, underpaid or not paid at all." In addition, violence against women continues "in every continent, country and culture" because it is concealed or condoned, Ban said. UNICEF director added that "No one, including the UN itself, is doing enough to end this terrible situation. We fail to treat it as a crime".
Advocating for the right to reproductive healthcare in Uganda : The import of Constitutional Petition no.16 of 2011
Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development: October 2011
This brief aims to explain the context of the landmark petition the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) on the right to health and maternal mortality. CEHURD and other partners have filed the petition in the Ugandan Constitutional Court to secure a declaration that non-provision of essential maternal health commodities in government health facilities, leading to the death of some expectant mothers, is an infringement on the right to health of the victims. CEHURD argues that these maternal deaths were preventable if the state had taken its human rights obligations seriously and the state should be held accountable. Reproductive health is argued to be a human right protected by both international and domestic law. The petition has generated public debate on maternal health and rallied civil society advocates behind the cause of reproductive health. However, litigation of human rights standards has two significant challenges. First, in situations where the judicial system has a huge case backlog it may take a long time before the case is disposed of. Second, litigation per se may not lead to change, unless followed by deliberate advocacy and lobbying. The authors argue that the case will be useful in identifying other areas of human rights warranting litigation, and lever efforts to build the capacity of various actors to take on litigation as an advocacy strategy.
Africa Environment Outlook 3: Our environment, our health: Summary for policy makers
United Nations Environment Programme: 2013
This issue of the Africa Environment Outlook conveys the following key messages to policy makers and other stakeholders: 1. Environmental and health issues deserve priority consideration in national development. 2. Although indoor air pollution is a profound health problem in Africa, it has been inadequately addressed. 3. Biodiversity provides goods and services such as food and medicinal plants that promote human health in Africa. 4. Climate change and variability severely impact human health owing to individuals’ and communities’ limited coping capacities. 5. Coastal and marine resources are integral to the health of coastal populations and need to be conserved and used sustainably. 6. Access to safe water and adequate sanitation is vital to human health and needs to be scaled up by eliminating impediments such as inadequate infrastructure, pollution of water sources, poor hygiene, retrogressive cultural taboos and gender disparities. 7. Sustainable land management is central to human health because land provides the resource base for the provision of ecosystem services such as food, fibre and medicines. 8. The magnitude of domestic and global uncertainties that decision makers have to grapple with imply that espousing the business as usual model when dealing with environmental problems does not only result in failure to meet internationally set goals and targets, it also undermines human health. 9. Although a number of good policies for addressing environmental challenges that affect human health exist, their implementation has been weak. Making policies more effective requires elimination of barriers to implementation.
Africa Youth Declaration on Post-2015 Agenda
Delegates at the African Youth Conference: 4 January 2012
The African Youth Conference on Post-2015 Development Agenda, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 12-16 December 2012, has adopted a Youth Declaration on the Post-2015 Agenda. This Agenda identifies 13 actions for accelerating progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and makes recommendations for the post-2015 development agenda. On accelerating MDG progress, the Declaration recommends that governments: increase commitments to achieve the MDGs and honour pledges; strengthen institutions to fight corruption and empower youth; and provide sufficient resources to children, women and youth ministries. It also recommends, inter alia: increasing equitable access to sustainable water and sanitation services and promoting hygienic behaviour; planning and implementing poverty eradication programmes to reach youth; strengthening communication, data collection and monitoring; and empowering and mobilising youth to participate in the MDGs and hold governments accountable. The Declaration asks the UN and its development partners to support projects that mitigate climate change and encourage sustainable consumption. It calls for civil society to engage communities to understand the causes of poverty and to address these challenges.