Plattform Agenda 2030 While many stakeholders welcomed the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 as a paradigm shift, a certain sense of disillusionment has already set in. More than two years have passed, but what has been achieved?
Following Switzerland’s announcement that it will present a progress report to the UN in July, the civil society organisations that make up the Platform Agenda 2030 have
been busy drafting their own parallel report. In doing so, they have not followed the UN
guidelines for country-led reports. Instead, they have defined the topics and issues
they feel to be most important.
MMS Das Netzwerk Medicus Mundi schreibt die Durchführung einer externen Evaluation aus. Mit dieser Evaluation wollen Vorstand und Geschäftsstelle des Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz (MMS) Auskunft über Stärken und Schwächen der Umsetzung, der in der Strategie 2017-2019 und in der Zusammenarbeitsvereinbarung 2016-2019 mit der Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA) definierten Ziele.
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH "Health equity is of great importance. The National Strategy for the Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases (NCD-Strategy) and the National Strategy on Addiction and Mental Health focus on this topic in 2018. The question then arises: But what is the situation regarding health equity in Switzerland?" (Photo: FOPH)
World Health Organisation (WHO) Health is closely linked to the social, economic and structural conditions in which people live and work. Thus, not only the health sector but also other policitical sectors are responsible for the health of a country's population. These relationships have already been highlighted in the Alma Ata statement in 1976 and later in the Ottawa Charter (1986). The importance of societal influences on health, and thus on a public health policy, is undoubted in today's approaches and got access into the concept of "Health in All Policies" as well as the WHO's approach of "Universal Health Coverage". (Photo: Pan American Health Organization PAHO / flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0) f
Piketty-Report The social inequality between top earners and low income has, according to a study, in recent decades in almost all regions of the world increased. This is the conclusion of a research group around the well-known French economist Thomas Piketty. Thus, the income of the richest percent of the world's population has more than doubled. The middle class, however, had hardly benefited. One of the main reasons for the growing economic inequality is the transfer of huge amounts of public assets into private hands. (Photo: citizens4taxjustice / flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Intellectual Property Watch The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE) discussed the worldwide access to medicines at a conference with a large number of stakeholders. The topic is complicated, but without increased political and economic will, new innovations and new research approaches, access to medicines can not be guaranteed, especially in developing countries. The participants agreed that high-priced monopolies and outdated concepts must be overcome. (Photo: Images Money / Flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Medicus Mundi International (MMI) Achieving health justice requires radical change. Change in polices that create poor heath, change in the global distribution of power and resources, and change within the health justice movement itself, writes Natalie Sharples by Health Poverty Action. (Photo: Stephen O'Brien, UN-Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs pays a visit to a camp in Saint Saveur, Central African Republic, in August 2016. © Nektarios Markogiannis/MINUSCA. IRIN Photo)
MMS With the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in 2015, for the first time all UN member states - including Switzerland - committed themselves to setting the course for a comprehensive global social contract in order to counteract poverty, increasing inequality and the escalating destruction of the planet. The primary objective is for national and international policies to focus more on the global common good and, above all, to reach neglected people (“Leaving no one behind”). Which concrete measures to implement these goals have been taken by Switzerland two years after the adoption of the Agenda 2030? Who are the players and what is at stake? (Photo: © CBM/Trenchard)
Sonntagsblick What proves catastrophic for low and middle income countries is a lucrative business for Switzerland. The hospitals are seizing themselves up for rich foreign patients, who cannot be adequately cared for in their home countries due to poor health systems. Negative consequences: The urgently needed money is lacking in the countries of origin to improve their own health care. And even if the own (Nigerian) president does not trust his health care system, how should the own population build up the necessary trust? Martin Leschhorn, Director of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland asks about Switzerland's ethical responsibility and criticizes the careless handling of Swiss hospitals and authorities with the topic.
Medicus Mundi International (MMI) In summer the working group on Effective Health Cooperation of the Medicus Mundi International Network (MMI EHC) launched an essay contest referring to their discussion paper on “Health Cooperation: Its relevance, legitimacy and effectiveness as a contribution to achieving universal access to health”. All representatives of organizations engaged in international health cooperation have been invited to submit their answer on how to actually change health cooperation beyond aid. In the meantime the winner - the author of the most convincing/inspiring answer selected by the jury - has been selected and MMI is happy to herewith present the winner: Natalie Sharples, Head of Policy & Campaigns at the MMI Network member Health Poverty Action. We invite you to read Natalie Sharples' rather tough message as part of our collection of essays which is now available online.
Luzerner Zeitung Obwohl immer noch zu viele Menschen an Malaria sterben, sind im Kampf gegen die Inektionserkrankung grosse Erfolge erzielt worden - vor allem auch Dank einer gelungenen Kooperation zwischen Industrie und öffentlicher Hand, wie der Präsident der Swiss Malaria Group, Christian Lengeler, im Interview mit der Luzerner Zeitung betont. Durch Milliardenfinanzierung aus privater Hand wurde die Forschung vorangetrieben und Medikamente zum Selbstkostenpreis in Entwicklungsländern abgegeben. Doch nun droht Gefahr, denn die Erreger werden zunehmend resistent gegen die wichtigsten Malariamedikamente und durch Kosteneinsparungen bei der humanitären Hilfe wird die Erforschung neuer Medikamente gefährdet. (Foto: Christian Lengeler / Swiss Malaria Group)
SRC This study is the result of a two-year SRC learning process run by the SRC on the challenges and effective approaches to health work in fragile contexts. The focus is on the interaction between health programmes and their context: How does a fragile context influence healthcare work? Can a health programme help reduce that fragility? The conclusions are based on the results of two case studies in South Sudan and Haiti, together with discussions at the Health in Fragile Contexts conference organized by the SRC, SDC and Medicus Mundi Schweiz health network in August 2016. (Photo: Remo Nägeli © SRC)
United Nations (UN) The long-awaited report of the UN high-level panel on access to medicines in developing countries is seen as a landmark report in the debate and gives a number of recommendations. The report focus on the use of human rights as the basis of policies and on access to medicines and the failure of the current research system, which does not make a sufficient contribution to the development of worldwide urgently needed drugs. While the civil society welcomed the result of the report, massive criticism comes from the pharmaceutical industry, which complains that the report does not address the real barriers to comprehensive health care. (Photo: United Nations)
MMS It is a difficult task to implement health programmes in environments where the health systems are already weak and threatened by a wide range of political and social conflicts. Working in such fragile contexts demands a sensitive approach for not worsening the situation. But international health cooperation can also play an important role in conflict transformation. At a side event to the World Health Assembly, which was co-organised by the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland, the dutch organisation Cordaid and the Swiss Red Cross presented their experiences.
Swiss Malaria Group Bern - 25 April 2016 In order to commemorate World Malaria Day, the Swiss Malaria Group signed together with president of the Swiss national council Christa Markwalder, president of the state council Raphaël Comte and Parliamentarians Isabelle Chevalley (Green Liberal Party), Marina Carrobbio (Social Democratic Party), Yvonne Feri (Social Democratic Party) and Rosemarie Quadranti (Civic Democratic Party), the Bern Malaria Declaration, in which they join forces to advocate for a new era of comprehensive action against malaria under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
WHO "WHO launched a new comprehensive analysis of global health trends since 2000 and an assessment of the challenges for the next 15 years. "Health in 2015: from MDGs to SDGs" identifies the key drivers of progress in health under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It lays out actions that countries and the international community should prioritize to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which come into effect on 1 January 2016."
spectra Global health is increasingly becoming an issue of international relations. Diseases do not stop at national borders. Increased need for coordination and greater coherence in the commitment to international health are calling for greater cooperation between the states. Switzerland has already adopted in 2005 with the HFP (Swiss Health Foreign Policy) an instrument to address these complex challenges adequately. Switzerland has taken a pioneering role within the international community. The HFP focuses on cross-border exchange of experience and the dissemination of best-practice models. (Photo: Health screening in Guinea / Flickr)
Swiss Academies of Sciences (SCNAT) Current anthropogenic pressures on the biosphere are historically unprecedented. These complex and far-reaching changes are disrupting many of the Earth’s systems, cycles and feedback mechanisms, leading to adverse impacts and threatening the foundations of human health and well-being. This factsheet of the Swiss Academies highlights the principal drivers of global change, placing particular emphasis on associated health impacts.
The Lancet The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been prepared over the last three years. These goals are set to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Are the SDGs able to overcome the unfinished business of the MDGs? UN has developed these very ambitious 17 goals in order to "free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and [will] heal and secure our planet for present and future generations”. Many observers are satisfied especially that with SDG 3 health has been given a central role. Nevertheless there are also voices of concern. (Photo: David Cameron speaks at UNGA 2015 © flickr)
Globalization and Health "In contrast to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals with the proposed health agenda aspires to be universally applicable to all countries and are appropriately broad in encompassing both communicable and non-communicable diseases as well as emerging burdens from, among other things, road traffic accidents and pollution. We argue that success in realizing the agenda requires a paradigm shift in the way we address global health. (...) We are concerned that neither the international community nor the global health community truly appreciates the extent of the shift required to implement this health agenda which is a critical determinant of sustainable development." (Photo: Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-being © flickr)
MMS There is a strong call within the international health cooperation to transform evidence based research into policy and action. Implementation research is often driven by the scientific community. In this side event, the organisers want to turn this argument upside down: NGO want to strengthen applied research in their projects and programmes. They argue that embedding implementation research in their programmes will create applied knowledge and evidence for the scaling up successful NGO interventions. -- A Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland Side Event in cooperation with FAIRMED, SolidarMed and Swiss Red Cross.
The Ebola crisis in West Africa showed the inability of the Western world to respond rapidly to epidemics and health crises. In the journal PLoS Medicine renowned health experts including Prof. Marcel Tanner from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) plead for a new global funding model to accelerate the development of new drugs against poverty diseases (Photo: Jean-Pierre Zellweger).
The Lancet
In an open letter to the journal The Lancet almost 100 members of the global health scholary community call upon all WHO Member States to recommit themselves to strengthening global outbreak alert and response by sustainably investing in the WHO, its departments, and personnel.
PLOS Medicine
PLOS Medicine writes: "On April 14, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a new statement on the public disclosure of clinical trial results (S1 Text). The WHO statement not only re-affirms the ethical imperative of clinical trial results reporting, it also defines reporting timeframes, calls for results-reporting of older but still unpublished trials, and outlines steps to improve linkages between clinical trial registry entries and their published results. This updates and expands WHO’s 2005 statement that “the registration of all interventional trials is a scientific, ethical, and moral responsibility.” (Photo: DNA lab, University of Michigan/flickr)
SolidarMed, SRC With the Millennium Development goals coming to an end by 2015, a debate is going on about what could be a coherent global framework for the upcoming decade. As it stands now, the new framework will be called “sustainable development goals” and build on the triple bottom line: Social inclusion, economic development and ecologic sustainability. Concerning health, various concepts have been discussed: Wellbeing; reduction of avoidable mortality/morbidity, universal health coverage (UHC) and others. Amongst these, UHC has emerged as the most promising. To discuss and clarify the terminology and meaning of UHC, the Swiss Red Cross and SolidarMed have held a joint workshop in 2013. Out of this workshop, we have now developed a joint, short paper, which is now available.
MMS Swiss citizens will vote about the so called ECOPOP-Initiative on 30th November 2014. It has two postulations: On the one hand the initiative intends to annually limit the migration in Switzerland to an average of 0.2%, and on the other hand it demands that 10% of the Swiss development cooperation budget will be earmarked for voluntary family planning. This background paper wants to inform you on that initiative as the second postulation of it touches our symposium’s theme. The board of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland as well as many member organisations clearly reject this initiative.
MMS Canadians have long been proud of their healthcare system yet current research suggests a worrisome decline in some outcome indicators and rising levels of inequalities over the last few years. One factor explaining a disproportionate share of these outcomes is failure to reach marginalized populations such as Indigenous peoples. In 2012 most Aboriginal-led health programming was cut, leaving health policy development for Canada's 1.2 million Aboriginal people in the hands of the federal government. First Nations have started a grassroots social movement in 2012 known as Idle No More fighting for indigenous rights.
World Health Organisation (WHO) June 2015 - “A WHO and World Bank Group report launched today shows that 400 million people do not have access to essential health services and 6% of people in low- and middle-income countries are tipped into or pushed further into extreme poverty because of health spending. "This report is a wakeup call: It shows that we’re a long way from achieving universal health coverage. We must expand access to health and protect the poorest from health expenses that are causing them severe financial hardship," says Tim Evans. (International health policy)
MMS Améliorer la situation sanitaire là où l'État ne peut garantir le droit à la santé et où tout investissement dans la santé est réduit en poussière en raison d'affrontements violents ou de démêlés politiques. Tels sont les défis particuliers de la coopération pour la santé. - Cette année, le Réseau Medicus Mundi Suisse se consacre en priorité à la coopération pour la santé dans des contextes fragiles. Tentative de bilan intermédiaire avant le grand symposium de MMS en 2 novembre 2016. (Photo: © Italienisches Rotes Kreuz, Yara Nardi)
Researchers for Global Health (R4GH) The association "Researchers for Global Health (R4GH)" is a new member organisation of the network MMS and is a joint initiative of researchers of the University of Zurich and the Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDI) of the Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Joint research, education and clinical care activities are focusing on global health challenges. They want to work together as equal partners and benefit from the mutual experiences. There are currently two active research projects, both at the IDI in Kampala, investigating the effects of HIV and TB drugs, and focusing on further questions about these two diseases. It is planned to include non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as well as "one-health" pathologies and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in their field of research.
Centrale sanitaire suisse romande (CSSR) Since its founding 80 years ago, the "Centrale Sanitaire Suisse Romande (CSSR)" based in Geneva, has been engaging for a better health care in the southern countries, especially in Latin America and Palestine. CSSR has emerged from a group of doctors and nurses who provided medical assistance during the Spanish Civil War. Later, the organization also looked after civilian victims of various conflicts and humanitarian crisis. Three main areas of activity are at the center of the organization: improvement of maternal and child health, community rehabilitation and humanization of health care.
MMS Die GesundheitsaktivistInnen können zufrieden sein: Praktisch alle ihre Anliegen fanden Eingang in die neuen nachhaltigen Entwicklungsziele (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs): Ob dies der globalen Gesundheit auch gut bekommt? (Bild: Der Vollstrecker/flickr)
UN In September 2015 the UN General Assembly will adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, which should be reached until 2030. The Goal 3 is dedicated to health for all: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." We document the paper as it should be adoptet by the UN-GA in September 2015. (pdf)
Chatham House "The global health architecture has contributed significantly to progress towards the Millennium Development Goals over the past decade. As the target date approaches for adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals, this paper suggests that reconfiguration of the architecture is necessary if it is to be fit to address the challenges of the post-2015 period."
Alliance Sud Die entwicklungspolitische Organisation Alliance Sud zu den Ergebnissen, der Konferenz von Addis Abeba, bei welcher Grundsätze der Entwicklungsfinanzierung festgelegt wurden.
World Vision To date, there has not been a formal process for children to outline their own priorities for recovery to decision-makers. In mid-March 2015, child-centred agencies conducted a Children’s Ebola Recovery Assessment (CERA) in nine districts across Sierra Leone to create a mechanism for more than 1,100 boys and girls, to discuss issues of concern; assess the impact of the crisis on their roles, responsibilities and future opportunities; and to formulate their recommendations for recovery. The findings of the CERA powerfully demonstrate the diverse and interconnected impact of the outbreak for children living through the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone
WHO The document contains preliminary report on all aspects of WHO’s response in the Ebola outbreak. WHO Member States will discuss the report at the sixty-eighth World Health Assembly. (pdf)
MMS Die Debatten an der Weltgesundheitsversammlung 2015 waren geprägt durch die Folgen der unbewältigten Ebola-Epidemie. Ein Rückblick im Editorial der MMS Nachrichten.
SRK Seit dem Ausbruch des tödlichen Ebola-Virus in Westafrika vor einem Jahr engagiert sich das SRK mit Fachleuten in der Prävention, der Logistik und der Pflege von Erkrankten. Die Epidemie hat sich zwar abgeschwächt, ist aber noch nicht vorbei. (Foto: © IFRC, Lisa Pattison)
MMS Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) ist wegen ihrer verspäteten Krisenintervention während der Ebola-Epidemie mächtig in die Kritik geraten. Ihr Exekutivrat hat sich im Rahmen einer eintägigen Sondersitzung am 25. Januar 2015 mit der WHO-Reaktion auf die Epidemie auseinandergesetzt. Carine Weiss vom Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz war dabei. (Photo: © Anna Jefferys/IRIN)
SRK Seit dem Ebola-Ausbruch im Frühling 2014 unterstützt das Schweizerische Rote Kreuz (SRK) den Kampf gegen die Epidemie in Westafrika. Es entsendet Personal und Hilfsgüter nach Guinea, Sierra Leone und Liberia zur Unterstützung der Rotkreuz-Föderation. In den SRK-Schwerpunktländern Ghana, Mali und Togo arbeitet es zusammen mit den nationalen Rotkreuz-Gesellschaften in der Prävention von Ebola.
Le Temps Le Temps hat ein Interview mit Peter Piot, dem Entdecker des Ebola-Virus, über die Entwicklung eines Impfstoffes gegen die Krankheit geführt. Dabei kommt Piot auch über die Rolle der Weltgesundheitsorganisation zu sprechen - und findet dabei durchaus auch wohlwollende Worte.
SRK Im Ebola-Behandlungszentrum des Roten Kreuzes in Kenema in Sierra Leone werden die gesunden Kinder getrennt von ihren Müttern betreut, berichtet eine Reportage des IFRC. (Foto: © IFRC, Lisa Pattison)
WHO One year after the first Ebola cases started to surface in Guinea, WHO is publishing this series of 14 papers that take an in-depth look at West Africa’s first epidemic of Ebola virus disease. (Bild: UNMEER/Martine Perret)
Le Temps Le Temps ist in einem umfassenden Hintergrundbericht den Versäumnissen in der internationalen Reaktion auf die Ebola-Epidemie eingegangen. Einig ist man sich über die späte Reaktion der WHO auf die Gesundheitskrise, wie sie sich seit dem März 2014 abgezeichnet hat. Die Genfer Zeitung geht den strukturellen Ursachen für diese Verspätung auf den Grund. (Foto: © Anna Jefferys/IRIN)
WHO "The last decade has seen increased external health-related aid to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. However, in the context of Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6, most of this aid has been allocated to combat human immunodeficiency virus infection, malaria and tuberculosis, with much of the residual going to maternal and child health services. Therefore, relatively little external aid was left to support overall development of health systems.5 This lack of balanced investment in the health systems contributes to the challenges of controlling the current Ebola outbreak. Weak health systems cannot be resilient.6–8 A strong health system decreases a country’s vulnerability to health risks and ensures a high level of preparedness to mitigate the impact of any crises," write the authors of WHO Bulletin's editorial in December 2014.
Tages-Anzeiger, RTS Das Genfer Universitätsspital hat einen kubanischen Arzt in Pflege, der sich in seinem Einsatz in Westafrika mit Ebola infiziert hat. Was steht hinter Kubas Einsatz gegen Ebola? Das Land hat international schnell reagiert: Bereits über 200 medizinische Fachpersonen sind im Einsatz. Kuba hat eine längere Tradition, ÄrztInnen international einzusetzen. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Ländern bildet der karibische Inselstaat eine genügend grosse Zahl aus.
Der Tages-Anzeiger berichtet nun, dass die gegen Ebola im Einsatz stehenden KubanerInnen im Falle einer Infektion nicht mehr zurück reisen dürften. Das Radio Télévision Suisse Romande hat die Thematik aufgegriffen und in einem weiteren Bericht eine Stellungnahme des Netzwerks Medicus Mundi Schweiz darüber eingeholt, was hinter der kubanischen Politik stehe. (Photo: HUG)
Project Syndicate Project Syndicat has published a piece by Lawrence O. Gostin with some interesting thoughts on Ebola. WHO should commit to an emergency contingency fund that it could deploy for surge capacity as soon as it declares a “public health emergency of international concern.” Besides this, Gostin points out the importance of health system strengthening and the need of supporting weak states by a Framework Convention on Global Health.
Tages-Anzeiger In einem Interview mit dem Tages-Anzeiger vom 11. November 2014 kritisiert der Geschäftsfüherer von Médecins sans Frontières Schweiz die WHO in ihrer Reaktion auf die Ebolaepidemie. Wenn staatliche Gesundheitssysteme zusammenbrechen können NGOs die WHO nicht ersetzen.
MMS The director of the Network Medicus Mundi International and the director of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland have published for the Swiss sunday paper, "NZZ am Sonntag" a small piece on the failure of WHO in the Ebola response. In German only.
People's Health Movement ""Why then are we confronted with an Ebola epidemic in West Africa? The answer lies not in the pathology of the disease but in the pathology of our society and the global political and economic architecture. It is not an accident that the present Ebola epidemic has affected three of the poorest countries in the world. Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone number 175, 179 and 183, respectively, out of 187 countries on the United Nation’s Human Development Index. Their health systems are ineffective and almost non-existent in many regions. The present epidemic is one brought upon by poverty and by ruthless exploitation of the region’s natural resources." (Photo: Sierra Leone / © Tommy Trenchard/IRIN)
MMS The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland has published a position paper on health within the Swiss Foreign and Health Policy. It is published in German and French.
MMS A critical review on the so called Swiss Foreign Health Policy in German.
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Dec 06, 2018
«Grosse Würde unter menschenunwürdigen Bedingungen»
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