Lungenliga Schweiz

On World Health Day, Making "My Health, My Right” A Reality For All

Statement by Administrator Samantha Power

USAID "In the small town of Dodota, Ethiopia – population 96,000 – health workers go to extraordinary lengths to track malaria. With only two health centers for a town where every single person has an elevated risk of contracting or dying from malaria, health workers are essential foot soldiers in the battle to keep the disease at bay, going door to door, asking residents if anyone inside has suspicious symptoms. And when COVID-19 descended on Dodota, these health workers doubled down, equipped only with hand sanitizer and masks – testing patients with fever not just for malaria, but for COVID; spreading awareness of social distancing and handwashing; and, when necessary, directing COVID patients into isolation."

09.04.2024

India’s newly amended patent rules threaten affordable medicines in the Global South

New amendments to patent rules in India will jeopardize the country’s ability to produce generics, dealing a strong blow to access to medicines in both India and other countries of the Global South

People’s Health Dispatch "India notified amendments to its patent rules on March 15 this year. Despite opposition by patient groups, activists, civil society and academics, the government has brought in changes that will significantly impact India’s ability to produce generic drugs and maintain access to affordable medicines. This will impact not only India, but also other countries which obtain cheaper medicines from India. It is no coincidence that just five days before the amendments were announced, India signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that comprises Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Switzerland is home to big pharma companies like Novartis, Roche and Bayer and successfully pressured India to accept TRIPS plus measures in the agreement."

09.04.2024

Public consultation on draft Model Law on Health Data Governance

Public Consultation Period 7th - 30th April

Transform Health "Transform Health and partners are convening a period of public consultation on a draft Model Law on Health Data Governance, which articulates core elements, guidance and model legal text, informed by equity and rights-based principles, among other international, regional and national commitments and best practice. The purpose of this consultation period is to gather stakeholder and expert feedback on the draft, including its content and how it is structured. Through this process, we aim to strengthen and validate the draft, while building consensus, alignment and broad support around the core elements."

08.04.2024

Africa Needs a New Health Order Focusing Expenditures on Key Outcomes

Africa needs a paradigm shift in healthcare financing in the face of limited resources. Opinion by Dr. Githinji Gitahi, head of Amref Health Africa

Amref Health Africa "Thirteen years ago this month, member states of the African Union met in the Nigerian capital. They adopted binding commitments to spend at least 15 per cent of their national budgets on health and urged donor countries to increase financial support for the continent’s health sector. What is now known as the Abuja Declaration recognized that Africa’s future rests on the health of its people. In this guest column Dr. Githinji Gitahi, head of one of Africa’s leading health organizations, looks back at that goal and forward at what needs to be done. The Abuja Declaration gives a clear and measurable target, leaving little room for debate. It provides a straightforward metric to assess which countries have met the 15 percent goal, those that haven’t, and those worthy of celebration for their achievements. However, while the spending benchmark is a tangible indicator of a government’s commitment to healthcare, it falls short in addressing the broader determinants of population health."

08.04.2024

Rising from Uncertainty: The Tale of Community Resilience in Wakiso’s COVID-19 Vaccination Journey

Amref Health Africa "In the heart of Wakiso District, Uganda, a palpable sense of uncertainty hung heavy in the air as COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy took hold of the community. Yet, amid the swirling shadows of doubt, a radiant beacon of hope emerged – the unwavering determination of local stakeholders to make a difference. Spanning vast landscapes, Wakiso is Uganda’s largest district, facing an uphill battle in the fight against vaccine hesitancy. Despite prior efforts by the Ministry of Health, tangible progress remained elusive. However, in October 2022, a new chapter dawned as a formidable alliance coalesced. Makerere University School of Public Health, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Amref Health Africa joined forces with the Ministry of Health and the Wakiso District Local Government."

08.04.2024

A Robust PABS System: Make or Break for the Pandemic Accord [Guest Essay]

Geneva Health Files "In the Geneva Health Files, we proposed a robust Pathogen Access and Benefits (PABS) system that imposes binding obligations on users of biological materials and genetic sequence data (GSD) to make mandatory monetary contributions. PABS is necessary but not sufficient to ensure equity. There is still important work to do on intellectual property waivers and technology transfers. But PABS is important. The Africa Group and the Equity Group are unlikely to acquiesce to a treaty without a strong PABS system. At the same time, GHF recently reported that the pharma industry is warming up to PABS, but wants unconditional access sans benefit sharing obligations. That’s a non-starter."​

08.04.2024

Yes, there's a youth bulge, but the global south is also getting older

With aging populations in low- and middle-income countries come concerns about health care, pensions, and people falling into the gaps.

Devex "Henry Mbene in Nigeria receives food and health checks from NGOs. Luisa Pelamo in Argentina keeps active by volunteering in a local community center. An NGO taught Chandra Devi Kafle in Nepal how to use a mobile phone. These people all have different lives in different environments, but upon reaching an older age, each of them has experienced life-changing challenges requiring additional support. While development practitioners have given the so-called youth bulge much attention in recent years, particularly in Africa, less notice has been paid to the impact of improved global life expectancy."

08.04.2024

13 ans de guerre en Syrie : une crise humanitaire sans fin

Communiqué de presse

Handicap International Suisse (HI) " Après 13 ans de conflit, la situation humanitaire en Syrie continue de se détériorer. Des combats localisés, accompagnés de frappes aériennes régulières, se poursuivent. 70 % de la population syrienne a besoin d'une aide humanitaire. Près de 7 millions des 22 millions d'habitants du pays sont toujours déplacés à l'intérieur du pays et vivent dans des camps dans des conditions épouvantables."

08.04.2024

2,6 millions de personnes ont urgemment besoin d’aide humanitaire au Nord-Kivu

Handicap International Suisse (HI) "Face à l’escalade de la violence et à l’insécurité au Nord-Kivu, les besoins humanitaires des populations croissent de jour en jour. Nous déployons des activités pour apporter une aide d’urgence. Fin 2023, la République Démocratique du Congo enregistrait déjà près de 7 millions de personnes déplacées internes sur son territoire. Or, depuis novembre 2023, les combats entre les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo et les combattants du Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) se sont encore intensifiés, prenant des proportions catastrophiques."

08.04.2024

Nous distribuons 200 aides à la mobilité à l'hôpital Al-Shifa à Gaza city

Handicap International Suisse (HI) "La situation dans la bande de Gaza est catastrophique. Nous tentons de surmonter les problèmes d’accès pour apporter une aide cruciale aux blessés. Le lundi 26 février, notre personnel à Gaza a pu récupérer 200 aides à la mobilité dont 150 fauteuils roulants de notre stock et les livrer à l'hôpital Al-Shifa dans la ville de Gaza : une distribution importante pour soutenir la mobilité et l'accès aux soins de santé des personnes blessées et handicapées. C’est une goutte d'eau dans l'océan des besoins. Mais cette opération souligne le dévouement inébranlable de nos équipes à fournir un soutien essentiel dans ces circonstances catastrophiques."

08.04.2024

Lutte contre l'épidémie de choléra au Zimbabwe et en Zambie 

La Croix-Rouge Suisse "Le Zimbabwe et la Zambie ont connu une recrudescence des cas de choléra fin 2023. Pour lutter contre la maladie, il faut favoriser l’accès à l’eau potable et à l’hygiène pour la population. Des points de réhydratation orale sont donc mis en place par la Croix-Rouge dans les communautés Les points de réhydratation pour la population ont été mis en place sous des tentes. Des bénévoles y préparent les solutions de réhydratation et distribuent des aquatabs et du chlore. Ils informent sur les moyens de se protéger et de protéger ses proches, ainsi que sur les mesures à prendre en cas de maladie."

08.04.2024

Six mois de défis logistiques entre l’Egypte et Gaza

Entretien avec Michel Sabat

La Croix-Rouge Suisse "Malgré de nombreux défis logistiques, le mouvement international de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge a pu acheminer près de 200 000 tonnes d’aide humanitaire à Gaza. L’opération est menée depuis l’Egypte. Michel Sabat, spécialiste en logistique dépêché par la CRS au Caire, est au cœur de l’opération pour apporter l’aide tant attendue."

08.04.2024

Starvation as a weapon of war must stop

The Lancet "The theme of World Health Day on April 7 is ‘my health, my right’, underscoring the UN's assertion that “every human being is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health conducive to living a life in dignity”. In this week's issue, the report from Under threat: the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights examines the steady deterioration of the global commitment to human rights in the 21st century, with serious and increasingly damaging effects on health. Shockingly, one of the most basic of rights, access to food, remains unattainable for the 691 to 783 million people who were food insecure in 2022. In conflict zones, where nearly 60% or 158 million hungry people live, conflict has displaced populations, destroyed economies and infrastructure, and led to high prices for scarce goods."

08.04.2024

L’Hôpital de l’Enfance Bethléem soigne des enfants de la bande de Gaza

Communiqué de presse

Secours aux Enfants Bethléem "Lucerne/Bethléem, le 25 mars 2024 – Mi-mars, un groupe de 68 enfants de la bande de Gaza est arrivé à Bethléem. Accueillis par SOS Villages d’Enfants, ils ont été placés dans une institution spécialisée. L’Hôpital de l’Enfance Bethléem est responsable de leurs soins médicaux. Les deux institutions sont liées par un partenariat de longue date. « A l’arrivée des 68 enfants ici à Bethléem, nous avons immédiatement proposé notre assistance médicale », explique Issa Bandak, directeur de l’hôpital pédiatrique. « Il va de soi que nous nous occupons de ces enfants. Nous pouvons enfin faire quelque chose pour les victimes innocentes de la guerre de Gaza. »

08.04.2024

PORTRAITS: Trois activistes pour l'inclusion

Initiative d'inclusion d'Amnesty International

Amnesty International "Entre engagement politique et aspiration à vivre de manière autonome, cette vidéo en lien avec l'initiative pour l'inclusion vous présente les histoires de Sébastian, Suad et Marius. Trois personnes en situation de handicap, trois parcours de vie, mais un appel commun: engageons-nous touxtes pour l'initiative pour l'inclusion! Vous pouvez découvrir les portraits de Sébastien, Suad et Marius, ainsi que ceux de cinq autres personnes concernées sur notre site web."

16. Mai 2024 – Kulturzentrum Neubad, Bireggstrasse 36, Luzern

Lautes Leid gegen stille Not

Am Donnerstag, 16. Mai 2024, findet die 98. Generalversammlung von SolidarMed mit anschliessender Diskussion zum Thema «Lautes Leid gegen stille Not: Wo ist die Gerechtigkeit?» statt.

SoldarMed "Am Donnerstag, 16. Mai 2024 findet die 98. Generalversammlung von SolidarMed im Neubad in Luzern statt. Mitglieder und Interessierte können sich an diesem Anlass informieren und Fragen einbringen. Im Anschluss an die ordentliche Generalversammlung hält SolidarMed-Vizepräsidentin Bernadette Peterhans einen kurzen Einstieg in das Thema «Lautes Leid gegen stille Not: Wo ist die Gerechtigkeit?». Anschliessend diskutieren Dr. Andreas Missbach (Geschäftsleiter Alliance Sud) und Dr. Bernhard Steiner (Kinderarzt und Luzerner SVP-Kantonsrat) darüber, welche Solidarität wir uns wünschen und wie wir uns angesichts dieser Weltlage gerecht verhalten können. Jérôme Martinu (eh. Chefredaktor Luzerner Zeitung) moderiert das spannende Gespräch. Wir freuen uns, wenn Sie sich an der Diskussion einbringen."

17. April 2024 – Hybrid: Auditorium Ivan Pictet (Geneva Graduate Institute, Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2, 1202 Geneva) and online.

Pandemic Negotiations: Closing the Deal

17 April 2024; 12:00-14:00. The agenda includes a keynote address by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Graduate Institute - Global Health Centre "This public event serves as a moment to pause and reflect over more than two years of negotiations within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). The event's primary objectives are to assess the progress made, shape political momentum as we approach the culminating stages of these crucial negotiations, and furthering trust among stakeholders leading up to the May 2024 World Health Assembly."

04.04.2024

Bilateral agreements on health worker migration and mobility

Maximizing health system benefits and safeguarding health workforce rights and welfare through fair and ethical international recruitment

World Health Organization (WHO) "International migration and mobility of health workers has increased in volume and complexity in recent decades. If not adequately managed, migration of health workers from low-and middle-income countries can exacerbate shortages and weaken health systems in these countries, widening inequities. This in turn can threaten international health security, with grave repercussions for economies and societies globally. Among the different pathways for movement of health workers, government-to-government agreements hold important potential to ensure that health workers and the health systems of participating countries benefit from health worker migration and mobility. This guidance is a tool for improving the capacity of state actors involved in the development, negotiation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of agreements related to international health worker migration and mobility (...)."

04.04.2024

New Discovery Unravels Malaria Invasion Mechanism

Key component found for malaria invasion

Swiss TPH "A recent breakthrough sheds light on how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, invades human red blood cells. The study, led by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, reveals the role of a sugar called sialic acid in this invasion process. The findings, published yesterday in Cell Reports, have major implications for malaria vaccine and drug development. With 249 million cases of malaria and 608,000 deaths in 2022, malaria has remained an intractable global health threat. The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is the leading cause of severe malaria and is responsible for the largest portion of malaria deaths."

03.04.2024

A major impact on young lives

SoldarMed "People with severe non-communicable diseases need early diagnosis and then systematic treatment. This is key, particularly for children like Tawonashe. (...) Once Tawonashe was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, his treatment started at Masvingo Provincial Hospital. His stays in hospital became less frequent and he suffered less pain. But the sickle cell medication was often unavailable at the hospital pharmacy, so his parents had to spend at least CHF 25 a month to buy it from a private one. Sometimes money was short so Tawonashe received too little or no medication at all. He was repeatedly hospitalised because he suffered from pain, couldn’t breathe properly and had anaemia. On top of that, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2022. "

03.04.2024

Mpox: Is the World Failing the Next Pandemic Preparedness Litmus Test?

At a time when the world is negotiating the best way forward for sustained preparedness to address pandemics, it is still exhibiting collective failure to learn from past outbreaks and a glaring gap in global health security. Mpox is one case in point – and a test case for global intent on pandemic preparedness.

Health Policy Watch (HPW) "In a remote village in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, a 55-year-old man’s life was forever changed by mpox. For weeks, he suffered alone, his body and face ravaged by extensive lesions. Shunned by local health clinics and stigmatized by his community, he endured not just the physical agony of mpox but also its profound psychological toll. By the time he reached a hospital willing to treat him, it was too late to save his vision, permanently impaired by keratitis."

03.04.2024

Long-lasting, injectable HIV prevention drug set for “aggressive” roll-out in Africa

U.S. government agency plans to make inexpensive shots widely available for people at risk

Science "Tools to fight HIV tend to come late to sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest hit by the epidemic. After powerful, lifesaving cocktails of HIV drugs came to market in 1996, it took 7 years before they began to reach large numbers of people living with the virus there. When pills to prevent, rather than treat, HIV infection were introduced in 2012—a strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—Africa was again slow to benefit. But with the next revolution in HIV prevention—an injectable, long-lasting version of PrEP—Africans may actually soon lead the pack. Not many people in rich countries have started to take this formulation, mainly because of insurance hassles for the expensive drug. But injectable PrEP is now on the cusp of being widely introduced in Africa, thanks to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a U.S. government program, which has purchased it at a steep discount."

03.04.2024

High risk, high reward: Gavi's investment in Africa vaccine production

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is months away from launching a new $1 billion financial instrument to boost Africa’s nascent vaccine manufacturing sector. Devex learned more about how it will work.

Devex "The board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance approved a new African Vaccines Manufacturing Accelerator at the end of last year, which will make up to $1 billion available over 10 years to the nascent sector. It’s yet to formally launch, but the teams involved in its creation are hammering out the final details."

03.04.2024

WHO unveils a digital health promoter harnessing generative AI for public health

"S.A.R.A.H. gives us a glimpse of how artificial intelligence could be used in future to improve access to health information in a more interactive way. I call on the research community to help us continue to explore how this technology could narrow inequities and help people access up-to-date, reliable health information.”

World Health Organization (WHO) "Ahead of World Health Day, focused on ‘My Health, My Right’, the World Health Organization (WHO) announces the launch of S.A.R.A.H., a digital health promoter prototype with enhanced empathetic response powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI). S.A.R.A.H. is a Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health that represents an evolution of AI-powered health information avatars, using new language models and cutting-edge technology. It can engage users 24 hours a day in 8 languages on multiple health topics, on any device."

02.04.2024

Leiter:in Internationale Gesundheitsprogramme (80 - 100%, Mitglied Geschäftsleitung)

Bewerbungsfrist: 25. April 2024

SolidarMed "Für unsere Geschäftsstelle in Luzern suchen wir per sofort oder nach Vereinbarung eine motivierte und selbstständige Persönlichkeit als Leiter:in Internationale Gesundheitsprogramme. Diese Aufgaben erwarten Sie u.a.: - Operative Leitung & organisatorische Weiterentwicklung der Abteilung Internationale Programme; - Umsetzung und Koordination der Programme gemäss Projektdokumenten, Verträgen und professionellen Standards; - Weiterentwicklung der Programme und Entwicklung neuer Projekte in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Bereich «Medizin & Public Health»; - Sicherstellen der notwendigen personellen, technischen und organisatorischen Ressourcen zur Umsetzung der Programme. Auf Ihre vollständige Bewerbung bis zum 25.04.2024 freuen wir uns sehr. Bitte senden Sie die vollständigen Unterlagen an unsere Bewerbungsplattform. Für weiterführende Informationen steht Ihnen Herr Jochen Ehmer, Geschäftsleiter SolidarMed, unter j.ehmer@solidarmed.ch oder Tel. 041 310 66 60 gerne zur Verfügung."

02.04.2024

Parasitic Worms and Liver Disease in Rural Laos

Swiss TPH "A study published by Swiss TPH and partners in Lao PDR has revealed high rates of Steatotic Liver Disease in a rural region where liver fluke infections and diabetes are prevalent. Surprisingly, an infection with parasitic worms was inversely associated with the prevalence of Steatotic Liver Disease. The study sheds some light on the important interplay between infectious and non-communicable diseases."

02.04.2024

Pandemic (Dis) Agreement Talks Limp into Extra Time

Health Policy Watch (HPW) "The fractious pandemic agreement talks – supposed to end with an agreement on Thursday (28 March) – have limped into extra time, with World Health Organization (WHO) member states resolving to hold an additional intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) meeting from 29 April to 10 May. The World Health Assembly (WHA), which begins on 27 May, is supposed to adopt the agreement, intended to be a global guide on how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to, pandemics. (...) At the briefing at the end of Thursday’s talks, which started almost four hours later than scheduled, INB co-chair Roland Driece said that “there is no champagne”. “We had long intensive discussions, but we have not succeeded in concluding this meeting,” added Driece."

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Decolonization in international health cooperation: Are we ready for it?

Symposiumsreader

The decolonization debate in international cooperation is not simply a new debate around power relations: It asks fundamental questions about the foundations of the development sector and its practices and brings a new analytical quality to international cooperation in general and to global health in particular. At its jubilee Symposium 2023, MMS critically examined the colonial roots of global health, which continue to shape the work of international cooperation. Questions about overcoming the unequal power dynamics in partnerships between North and South were at the center of the discourse, as was the upcoming transformation of the sector. In-depth insights and reflections as well as the results of the study commissioned by MMS on what decolonization means for MMS member organizations are presented in this bulletin.

Magazine

How can a transformation be shaped? Insights from MMS member organisations

Are we ready for a paradigm shift?

Introduction

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

What does the International Women’s Day 2024 Theme: ‘Inspiring Inclusion’ mean to my daughter, a 16-year-old who has been living with epilepsy since she was 8 months old?

Reflexions from a father

The campaign theme for the International Women's Day (IWD) for this year is Inspiring Inclusion (1): The IWD website notes that ‘When we inspire others to understand and value woman's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there is a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.’

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

La nature, alliée de notre santé - "Nature Deficit Disorder"

A propos d’interactions entre les humains et la biosphère

Le concept de "Nature Deficit Disorder"- NDD (syndrome de manque de nature en français) a été introduit par l'auteur américain Richard Louv dans un livre de 2005, « Last Child in the Woods ». Les humains, et notamment les enfants, sont de plus en plus confinés en milieu urbain, avec la promiscuité et les pollutions que cela implique, passent de moins en moins de temps en plein air, et sont ainsi susceptibles de développer divers troubles. Louv a publié par la suite d’autres ouvrages, dont "Vitamin N" (N pour Nature).

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Dekolonisierung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit: Ein Konzept vor seiner Delegitimierung?

Überlegungen zur historisch-politischen Dimension und dem Nutzen des Begriffs der Dekolonisierung

​Das Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz setzt sich seit bald zwei Jahren mit dem Thema der Dekolonisierung auseinander. Je deutlicher dabei geworden ist, was im Rahmen der anstehenden Transformation der internationalen Zusammenarbeit angestrebt werden soll, umso mehr droht die notwendige Veränderung am Verlust der politischen Bedeutung ihrer Terminologie zu verwischen.

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Is Cooperation at Eye Level Possible?

A Donor Perspective

If money is power, then those providing it, i.e., donors are de facto influential stakeholders. This power, however, can serve as a catalyst to level out power dynamics that pervade the Development and Cooperation Sector.

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

How to Respond to the Call for Decolonization?

Interview by Carine Weiss with Labila Sumayah Musoke and Thomas Schwarz

The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland has embarked on the discussion of what decolonisation means for its members and for international health cooperation for several years. From the debates it became clear that there is a need for more in depth discussions and support in order to move forward and make shifts in this rather complex topic.

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Are We Ready for Decolonisation?

Reflections on an Outstanding MMS Symposium

In 2023, a powerful MMS Symposium entitled The Changing Role of CSOs in International Health Cooperation and Global Health took place in which the member organisations shared a mutual need to challenge the biases within ourselves and the institutions in which we work. If we want to get to the heart of the impact these biases are having on both the Global South and the North, it is necessary for us to undertake an ongoing process of reflection.

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Decolonisation: From Rhetoric to Action

Experience with decolonity in terre des hommes schweiz

From promoting gender equality to ensuring the participation of marginalised groups, the development sector has always been known to acknowledge and confront injustices that permeate the sector. Although many successes have been registered in this regard, recent calls to challenge the ‘deeply rooted systems of dominance and power of international, mostly Western organizations and institutions’ has brought to the fore an injustice that remains glaring - a development cooperation approach with structural power inequalities predicated upon the superiority of Global North actors over their counterparts in the South.

MMS Bulletin #168

März 2024

Shifting roles in a changing world

Localisation of Aid at the Swiss Red Cross

Localisation is a key aspect towards sustainable cooperation programme implementation. To succeed, it is crucial to listen to the voice of the local partners and acknowledge and respect that they are in the lead. Partners and donors alike need to have an appropriate institutional framework – vision, strategy, guidelines – to live such an approach and truly embark on localisation. Localisation requires a changed approach, attitude, and value system on an institutional level to whole-heartedly support locally-led action and strengthen local partners and shift the role from an implementer to a facilitator, enabler, knowledge broker or mere observer and ultimately retire as a Northern NGO in international cooperation.

22.03.2024

Under threat: the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights

New report

The Lancet Commissions "2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration articulates an inspiring vision of a world that is just, equitable, tolerant, and strategically focused on actions to address the most vulnerable and marginalised populations—a counterpoint to the atrocities, repression, and colonialism that characterised much of the 20th century. Endorsement of the Universal Declaration was not commensurate with reality in many cases— especially because numerous signatories still had colonies and because Cold War politics resulted in divisions of social, economic, and political rights into separate international covenants—but it nevertheless inspired decades of progress. (...) Yet the future of the health and human rights paradigm is uncertain, partly as a result of major changes in the global political and economic environment. The COVID-19 pandemic was a failed test case for the world's commitment to international solidarity, equity, and human rights."

22.03.2024

Kommt jetzt ein Pandemie-Vertrag? «Die WHO ist keine Superregierung, die etwas unabhängig durchsetzen kann»

Interview mit Martin Leschhorn Strebel, Geschäftsführer Medicus Mundi Schweiz

bz – Zeitung für die Region Basel "Um sich gegen globale Gesundheitskrisen besser zu wappnen, arbeitet die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO an einem globalen Pandemievertrag. Massnahmengegner aus der Corona-Zeit befürchten den Verlust der Unabhängigkeit. Taucht ein neuer bösartiger Erreger auf, ist eine weitere Pandemie durchaus möglich. Schon während der Corona-Pandemie machte sich die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO daran, einen weltweiten Pandemievertrag zu erarbeiten. Inzwischen liegt nach sieben Verhandlungsrunden ein Textentwurf vor, über den im Mai 2024 an der 77. Weltgesundheitsversammlung der WHO in Genf abgestimmt werden soll."

Program SRHR Conference 24 April 2024 - PDF

15.03.2024

Latest pandemic treaty draft text still has 'many weaknesses'

Next week, countries are going to be engaged in another two-week marathon to hash out the details of the pandemic agreement.

Devex "The pandemic agreement negotiations are entering the home stretch, but NGOs and global health observers are still not happy with the latest draft of the agreement. The revised draft, dated March 7, was circulated to partners over the weekend. It comes after a two-week marathon session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, or INB, that ended March 1, and one week ahead of its scheduled final session that starts on March 18, where member states are expected to engage in text-based negotiations for nine days. According to observers and NGOs, the text remains weak on compliance, and text on the hot-button issue of pathogen access and benefit sharing still does not equate to equal benefits for low- and middle-income countries."

13.03.2024

UN chief calls for global action to defend women’s rights amid disturbing trends

The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women is taking place from 11 to 22 March at the UN Headquarters, in New York.

United Nations "The UN Secretary-General on Monday highlighted the urgent need to defend women's rights which are under threat, citing a reversal in hard-won progress, increasing violence against women and a growing digital gender divide. Addressing the opening of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the pivotal forum dedicated to promoting and safeguarding the rights of women and girls worldwide, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the disproportionate impact of wars on women. “In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men,” he said, urging immediate ceasefires and humanitarian aid."

12.03.2024

Great need in Mozambique

The humanitarian crisis in northern Mozambique is hitting the poorest of the poor.

SolidarMed "In Chiúre District, SolidarMed's project region in Mozambique, attacks by Non State Armed Groups have been flaring up since last December. Since then, the population is deprived from essential health care services. Many of those affected had fled from earlier attacks in the north of the district to the Chiúre region. Now they are on the move again, out of Chiúre, without water, without protection from the rain or sun and, of course, without medical care. - «Healthcare in the Chiúre district has completely collapsed because most of the health workers have fled.»

06.03.2024

Podcast «Artikel Sieben» - #6: Hitzewellen und das Recht auf Leben

humanrights.ch "Jeder Mensch hat ein Recht auf Leben. So steht es in Art. 10 BV und in Art. 2 EMRK. In der neuen Folge des Podcast «Artikel Sieben» beschäftigen wir uns mit der Frage, ob der Staat mehr gegen den Klimaerwärmung tun muss, um dieses Recht auf Leben zu schützen. Ein Gespräch mit Rechtsanwältin Cordelia Bähr. (...) Eine Gruppe von älteren Frauen aus der Schweiz, die Klimaseniorinnen, hat die Schweiz vor dem EGMR eingeklagt. Sie machen geltend, dass durch das Untätigbleiben der Schweiz zur Verhinderung der Klimaerwärmung ihr Recht auf Leben gefährdet sei. In ihrer Argumentation stützten sie sich auf das Klimaziel des Pariser Abkommens, das eine Erwärmung von höchstens 1,5°C festschreibt."

05.03.2024

New PEPFAR Youth Initiative: $20 Million to Address HIV/AIDS Among Youth

U.S. Department of State "The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), led by the State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, announced a new $20 million initiative to strengthen youth-focused HIV programming, center youth HIV leadership, and promote innovation in HIV prevention, case finding, and treatment outcomes in PEPFAR-supported countries. Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, made the announcement about PEPFAR’s Youth Initiative during a hybrid youth special session in Cape Town, South Africa, alongside thousands of youth from around the world."

08. März 2024 – Du 8 au 17 mars, Genève

Le FIFDH dévoile son programme ! Entre résistances et révoltes : le pouvoir des images

FIFDH "Le rideau se lève sur la 22e édition du Festival du film et forum international sur les droits humains de Genève. La programmation 2024 esquisse les contours d’un futur meilleur en exploitant la force du cinéma et des grandes voix des droits humains. Rejoignez-nous pour 10 jours de films et de discussions engagées ! Dans un monde où les crises se multiplient et, plus inquiétant encore, semblent se renforcer entre elles, comment donner du sens à notre époque sans basculer dans le pessimisme ? "

05.03.2024

Many efforts yet few achievements: Where should healthcare quality improvement policies focus in LMICs?

British Medical Journal (bmj) "Challenges related to availability and access to good quality healthcare services contribute to about 15% of deaths in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the attention to quality healthcare in many countries has not been adequate, albeit rising over the years. Several studies highlight challenges in healthcare quality, including the availability of health services, clinical care and patient experience. Recently, a study from Uttar Pradesh (UP) in India analysed the reasons behind significantly higher mortality in newborn babies born in rural private health facilities compared to childbirths in public and private facilities in urban areas. In line with many other observations, the paper has highlighted several reasons relevant to the issue of suboptimal quality of healthcare in LMICs, indicating several systemic and policy challenges."