from PHA-Exchange
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A special U.S. launch of the Global Health Watch took place on December
13th in Philadelphia, at the office of the Philadelphia-based Kensington
Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the national Poor People’s Economic Human
Rights Campaign (PPEHRC-USA), member organizations in the People’s Health
Movement-US.

 The event, timed to coincide with the national meeting of the American
Public Health Association (APHA), was organized by the Kensington Welfare
Rights Union, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, the
People’s Health Movement and the People’s Health Movement – US Circle.

 The event was held in the poorest community in the state of Pennsylvania,
a neighborhood in which high numbers of people are without health care,
housing, water, heat and food.

 The launch was held a day after the APHA released a report announcing that
health conditions and access to health care in the USA has declined since
the 1990’s.

 Speakers in the event included:

 Lanny Smith of PHM-USA

 Cheri Honkala, the National Coordinator of the Poor People’s Economic
Human Rights Campaign and a formerly homeless mother on Medicaid (the
health assistance program for the poor in the US, which is being cut
drastically)

 Galen Tyler, Director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and a
formerly homeless father of five who is without health care

 Bob Brown, Organizer, District 1199C of the National Union of Hospital and
Health Care Employees, 1199-AFSCME, AFL-CIO

 Addendum: On Monday December 19th, the United States Congress voted to cut
more than $39 billion from social programs, including major cuts in
medicaid, the medical program for the poor.

See  http://www.economichumanrights.org for more information about the
PPEHRC's