I wanted to let all the Click4HPers know about an important world event that so far has received very little attention.  A colleague of mine in Nicaragua is working with other grassroots health activists from around the world to organise a People's Health Assembly "dedicated to changing the prevailing health care delivery system which is considered to be failing to serve the deteriorating health of most of the poor worldwide."

An Assembly is planned for December 2000 in Bangladesh, where people from around the world will come together with one of the main activities to be the development of a People's Charter for Health.  The idea is that the Assembly is not to be an end in itself, but the catalyst for a whole range of activities.  There is a very good website (multi-lingual) about the People's health Assembly at www.pha2000.org for further information.

There is much in the draft charter that relates to all nations.  The factors that threaten our universal health care system in Canada are the same as those in other countries (e.g. the influence of the WTO and Free Trade on health and social policy;  the increasing privatization of health systems).  There is much to be gained, I think, from looking at what alliances we can form with other groups and organizations globally to deal with these issues.  Participation in the PHA process may offer an opportunity to do this.

Check out the PHA and see what you can do to participate in your community.

Maria Zuniga, one of the PHA organisers, will be in Ottawa in late September, so we are trying to organise some meetings at that time to discuss national and local strategies to link the PHA to groups like the Canadian Health Coalition.