International Association of Health Policy
The International Association of Health Policy (IAHP) is a scientific, political, and cultural organisation founded in 1977. It is an international network of scholars, health workers, and activists with the aim of promoting the scientific analysis of public health issues and a forum for international comparisons and debate on health policy issues.
Motasem HAMDAN
1) Centre for Health Services and Nursing
Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
2) School of Public
Health, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem.
13th IAHPEurope Conference “Social and economic destabilisation in Europe: implications for health”
May 21st to24th 2003, Stockholm, Sweden
Health workforce in political and economic destabilisation: the interaction between health sector reform and human resources development in Palestine
Palestinian Medical Relief
UPMRC
Sender: upmrc
URGENT APPEAL UPDATE
Release Medical Personel
Wednesday 7th May 2003
Following on from our recent appeal regarding Israeli occupying army attacks on two medical relief clinics and training centers in Nablus and Ramallah, and the arrest of Dr Mohammed Skafi (Head of Emergency Services and First Aid), Mr Nasaif Al Dik (Coordinator of Community Health Projects) Shadi Abu Bakr and Ahmed Badwan (medical relief volunteers), we are pleased to announce the release of Dr Mohammed Skafi.
Thanks to the good efforts of the international community, Dr Skafi was released on Monday the 5th of May at 5.00 pm, after being held at a detention center at the Beit El settlement. Dr Skafi was released without charge and did not endure any interrogation procedures.
However, Shadi Abu Bakr remains in the detention center at Beit El settlement. The Israeli army has refused to release him and has prevented his Lawyer from meeting with him. Mr Nasaif Al Dik and Ahmed Badwan are also still being held at a detention center at Petah Tikva. The Israeli army has refused to allow Lawyers to meet with them too. In addition, equipment stolen from the medical relief clinics and training centers has not been returned.
We call upon all humanitarian, human rights and health organizations to apply immediate pressure on the Israeli army and the Israeli government to release the remaining prisoners so that they may return to their essential humanitarian work. Please also demand that all stolen equipment must be returned to the medical centers immediately. Please protest to the following:
Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187
Jerusalem 91919, Israel
Fax: +972 2 6705475 E-mail: rohm@pmo.gov.il
Elyakim Rubinstein
Attorney-General/Legal Advisor to the Government
Ministry of Justice
9 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010, Israel Fax: +972 2 6285438
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defence
Kaplan St.
Hakirya Tel-Aviv 61909
Tel: 972-3-5692010 Fax: 972-3-6916940
Foundation hospitals will kill the NHS
Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric: this is about privatisation
Allyson Pollock
Wednesday May 7, 2003
The Guardian
At its launch, Alan Milburn described the foundation hospitals bill as “true to our traditions of solidarity, community and fairness”. The Labour party chairman, Ian McCartney, even called it leftwing. But this did not satisfy Labour stalwarts: 130 backbench Labour MPs signed a motion opposing the bill because of fears about privatisation, an anxiety echoed by many outside parliament, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.
So now the media are being fed another story. The foundation proposal, we are being told, is only rhetoric; in reality, the reform changes nothing very much. Foundation hospitals will not be businesses but not-for-profit “mutuals”, NHS pay rates will apply and private practice will be capped. New Labour is simply tweaking some hoary NHS institutions while spinning the changes to undermine the Conservatives.
Downsizing of acute inpatient beds associated with private finance initiative: Scotland’s case study
Matthew G Dunnigan, senior research fellow,
Allyson M Pollock, professor
a University Department of Human Nutrition, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, b Public Health Policy Unit, School of Public Policy, University College London, London WC1H 9QU
Correspondence to: A M Pollock
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate whether the projected 24% reduction in acute bed numbers in Lothian hospitals, which formed part of the private finance initiative (PFI) plans for the replacement Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, is being compensated for by improvements in efficiency and greater use of community facilities, and to ascertain whether there is an independent PFI effect by comparing clinical activity and performance in acute specialties in Lothian hospitals with other NHS hospitals in Scotland.
PHM reporting
Tuesday 15 April
Just reported from Baghdad on Abu-Dhabi Satellite Television News (6pm Londontime)
The Central Infectious Diseases Laboratory in the heart of Baghdad has been broken into, looted and smashed. Incubators containing many dangerous viruses, including hepatitis, polio, AIDS and many other have been stolen and other containers and incubators have been smashed and strewn all over the area.
There is no public broadcasting service to warn the looters and others of the dangers, and no authorities to take action. Some of the Lab workers have been pleading with ICRC officials and with American military medics to rise up to their responsibilities, but they appear to have been stonewalled. They believe that this will cause major outbreaks of disease.
Please act urgently. Contact the ICRC, aid agencies, media, politicians. This war is turning into genocide while politicians and the military congratulate each other. The Lab workers themselves stress that the diseases will not spare the occupation troops themselves.
Dr Kamil Mahdi
Two British soldiers are facing a court martial after refusing to fight in the war against Iraq for moral reasons. The men, both from 16 Air Assault Brigade, have been sent home and face up to two years in jail for disobeying orders.
A third serviceman, a reservist who refused to travel to the Gulf despite orders, may also face legal action.
Read More in: Article in Scotland on Sunday
But he found no trace of the depleted uranium (DU) some scientists believe is implicated in Gulf War syndrome.
Other researchers suggest new types of radioactive weapons may have been used in Afghanistan.
The scientist is Dr Asaf Durakovic, of the Uranium Medical Research Center (UMRC) based in Washington DC.
Dr Durakovic, a former US army colonel who is now a professor of medicine, said in 2000 he had found “significant” DU levels in two-thirds of the 17 Gulf veterans he had tested.
In May 2002 he sent a team to Afghanistan to interview and examine civilians there.
The UMRC says: “Independent monitoring of the weapon types and delivery systems indicate that radioactive, toxic uranium alloys and hard-target uranium warheads were being used by the coalition forces.”
Read more at BBC article
Public Health 2003
24 – 26 March 2003
Cape Town, S. Africa
The new Public Health Association of South Africa is organising this conference gathering all the leading academics, colleagues and organisations of S. Africa committed to the development of the urgently needed human capacity in Public Health.
The conference seeks to influence the Public Health Agenda in South Africa through presentations, discussions and workshops on key public health topics. It will provide a forum for exchange between local and international public health practitioners and scientists.
The conference will also provide a platform for the launch of the new Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA), which replaces ESSA.
Como profesionales de la salud, asistimos con alarma a los preparativos para el ataque que Estados Unidos se dispone a desencadenar contra Iraq, con la ayuda del gobierno inglιs y el apoyo de la UE.
Como ejercientes de una profesion cuya razσn de ser es mejorar la salud y preservar, en lo posible, a los seres humanos de la enfermedad y la muerte, no podemos permanecer impasibles ante esa forma de entender las relaciones internacionales.
Una de las herencias mαs vergonzosas que arrastramos del pasado siglo XX es la apariciσn de una nueva forma de guerra, caracterizadas por la desproporciσn de fuerzas entre atacantes y atacados, el uso ofensivo de armas de destrucciσn masiva, los daρos medioambientales, el elevado nϊmero de vνctimas producidas entre la poblaciσn civil, y el masivo flujo de refugiados. Ejemplos recientes de ιsta clase de desastres humanitarios son los que hemos conocido en Iraq, Yugoslavia o Afganistαn.
Es ahora, cuando ya no existe el enfrentamiento entre las superpontencias que dominσ el ϊltimo medio siglo, cuando asistimos a la mayor escalada militar de la historia, protagonizada por un solo gobierno que se ha arrogado el papel de gendarme mundial, legislador, juez y parte en aquellos asuntos que sus autoridades decidan como de “interιs nacional”. Hasta ahora, ιste “interιs nacional” del gobierno norteamericano ha sido asegurarse el suministro de petrσleo y demαs materias primas. Sin cambiar de objetivo , desde el 11 de Septiembre, EEUU usa la “Lucha contra el Terror” y la “Guerra Preventiva” como bandera bajo la que se han alineado la mayorνa de los gobiernos europeos para perseguir, bombardear e invadir a los unilateralmente calificados como Estados Terroristas.
Esta dinαmica belicista ha dejado y dejarα un rastro de destrucciσn y muerte, tanto por las vνctimas directas de la guerra, como por el impacto que el armamento usado ha tenido, y tendrα durante generaciones en la salud de las personas y de los ecosistemas, sσlo hay que recordar Hiroshima, Vietnam, Afganistαn e Iraq. Nunca conoceremos con exactitud el armamento utilizado en las guerras contra Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afganistαn o Palestina, ya que buena parte del mismo ha sido radiactivo, biolσgico y quνmico, expresamente prohibido por el Derecho Internacional. En el caso de Iraq, y sin contar con las vνctimas directas de la guerra del 91, el embargo ha causado la pιrdida de mαs de un millσn de seres humanos, mαs de la mitad infantiles. Ιsto en un paνs que, hasta entonces, incluso con Sadam Hussein, disfrutσ de una de los mejores sistemas de salud de
su entorno, con cifras comparables a las de los paνses occidentales en mortalidad infantil y esperanza de vida. Sin duda ιste nuevo conflicto, una invasiσn, aρadirα mαs muertos, dolor y sufrimiento a la poblaciσn del paνs.
Por otra parte, desde los paνses cuyos gobiernos emprenden ιsta carrera militar, es nuestro deber denunciar tanto ιsta onerosa escalada militar, como la instauraciσn de unas economνas dependientes hasta en un 50 % de actividades relacionadas con el desarrollo, producciσn y destrucciσn de armamento. Paradσjicamente, es en ιstos mismos paνses donde los dirigentes se niegan a invertir en servicios pϊblicos de salud. Es mαs, en las ϊltimas dιcadas estamos asistiendo al desmantelamiento de los Estados de Bienestar, y a la privatizaciσn de los Servicios Pϊblicos de Salud de la UE, justificados hipσcritamente por ser una “excesiva carga” para los presupuestos pϊblicos. Es desgraciadamente aleccionador que Estados Unidos derroche dinero en la guerra cuando no garantiza la asistencia sanitaria a su poblaciσn.
Por todo ello, nosotros, herederos de una antigua tradiciσn de respeto a la vida, y apostando por la instauraciσn de formas de convivencia pacνfica entre las naciones, rechazamos el recurso a la guerra. Exigiendo por ello el fin de todas acciones de guerra sobre Iraq, ( embargo, zonas de exclusiσn y bombardeos ) y sobre Palestina ( ocupada por Israel ).
Manifiesto de profesionales de la salud Contra la Guerra
“Primum non nocere”
Nombre
Firma
Profesiσn
Dear PNHP physicians, medical students and far-flung friends,
A new bill for single payer will be introduced in Congress on Tuesday, February 4 (press release to follow).
We thank all the members of the Physicians Working Group for Single Payer for all their hard work on this project, as well as Rep. John Conyers, a lifelong advocate in the Congress for health and human rights, and his staffer, Joel Segal.
There are three things you can do to help in the coming weeks.
1) Contact your member of Congress and encourage them to be a co-sponsor of this legislation. If they sign on today, they can still be an “original” co-sponsor and their name will be permanently attached to the bill. The Congressional switchboard is (202) 224-3121.
2) Encourage physicians and medical students to individually endorse the “Physicians and Medical Students Proposal for NHI” If you have access to any e-mail lists at your hospital, medical school, etc. please circulate the summary and endorsement form.
3) Encourage any civic, consumer, church, or other grassroots or allied professional groups you belong to to endorse the new single-payer bill. A new web site, Coalition for a National Health Program is being constructed to keep an ongoing list of endorsements. Please bookmark it.
Thank you for your continued support. Although the war and the shuttle disaster are making headlines, we hope to offer the press some good news to cover as well.
Ida Hellander, MD
Executive Director
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)
29 E Madison, Suite 602
Chicago, IL 60602
312.782.6006
fax 312.782.6007
pnhp e-mail
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2003
11:00 a.m
Physicians Propose Solution to Rising Health Care Costs and Uninsured
Introduce National Health Insurance Bill in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of the nation’s most prominent physicians and progressive leaders of Congress will hold a press conference briefing Tuesday, February 4, 11am, 2226 Rayburn House Office Building, to unveil a new bill, The United States National Health Insurance Act, a single-payer national health program. The legislation proposes an effective mechanism for controlling skyrocketing health costs while covering all 42 million uninsured Americans. The bill also restores free choice of physician to patients and provides comprehensive prescription drug coverage to seniors, as well as
younger people.
“Good news,” says Dr. Quentin Young, convener of the physician panel. “There is now a way to exit the nightmare of a collapsing health system. We no longer have to put up with the outrageous costs that keep millions of Americans from receiving medical care and needed medications. Nor will tens of thousands of families have to declare bankruptcy over medical bills.
Universal national health insurance (single payer) takes the resources we have in place and deals with them in an intelligent manner, excluding the tragic hemorrhage of resources into non-health entities”.
Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine*, is the spokesperson for the Physicians Working Group on Single-Payer National Health Insurance, an ad-hoc collaboration of the nation’s top physicians. Dr. Angell will present the proposal at the briefing.
Other members of the group include Dr. Gerald Thomson and Dr. Christine Cassel, former Presidents of the American College of Physicians, the second largest medical association in the country; Dr. Rodney Hood and Dr. Gary Dennis, former Presidents of the National Medical Association; Dr. Elinor Christiansen, immediate Past-President of the American Medical Women’s Association; and Dr. Ron Anderson, CEO of Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
(*Affiliations for identification only. A full list of Working Group members is at the end of this release).
Representative John Conyers, Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus and ranking minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee will introduce The United States National Health Insurance Act on February 4. A long time advocate of national health insurance, Rep. Conyers closely collaborated with the Physicians Working Group on the bill.
Additionally, nearly 4,000 individual physicians have endorsed the physicians’ proposal including two former Surgeons General (Dr. David Satcher and Dr. Julius Richmond); a Nobel Laureate (Dr. Bernard Lown); the highly respected authors of major textbooks of surgery and family practice (Dr. William Silen and Dr. Robert Rakel, respectively); and a leading organizer of emergency services in NYC on 9/11(Dr. Lewis Goldfrank, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at New York University).
Also joining the physicians and Congressmen to endorse the National Health Insurance Act will be Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, Urban League Director of Health Policy; Dean Baker, Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research; and Hillary Shelton, a spokesperson for Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP.
Original Congressional co-sponsors of the NHI bill at press time are:
Luis Guitierrez (IL), Jim McDermott (WA); Bobby Scott (VA); Donna Christensen (Virgin Islands); Barbara Lee (CA); Danny Davis (IL); Major Owens (NY); Jesse Jackson Jr.(IL); Maurice Hinchey (NY); Donald Payne (NJ); Elijah Cummings (MD); Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI); Alcee Hastings (FL); Chaka Fattah (PA); Ed Towns (NY); John Lewis (GA); BennieThompson (MS); Eleanor Holmes-Norton (delegate for DC), and Lou Grijalva (AZ) (listing in formation).
National Health Insurance Act Press Conference
February 4, 2003 11am
2226 Rayburn House Office Building, Judiciary Committee Room
*Physician Working Group Members
Marcia Angell, MD
Spokesperson
Past Editor
New England Journal of Medicine
Quentin Young, MD
Convener
National Coordinator PNHP
Former President American Public Health Association
Joel Alpert, MD
Former President
American Academy of Pediatrics
Ron Anderson, MD
President and CEO
Parkland Health &Hospital System
Peter Beilenson, MD, MPH
Commissioner
Department of Health, Baltimore
Christine Cassell, MD
Former President
American College of Physicians
Dean, Oregon University School of Medicine
Elinor Christiansen, MD
Past President
American Medical Women’s
Association
Olveen Carrasquillo, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Columbia School of Medicine
Advisory Committee Member
National Hispanic Medical Assn.
Gary Dennis, MD
Former President
National Medical Association
David Himmelstein, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Co-Founder, Physicians for a National Health Program
Rodney Hood, MD
Past President of the National Medical Association which represents
African-American physicians
Edith Rasell, MD, PhD
Minister for Labor Relations in Community and Economic Development for
the United Church of Christ
Helen Rodriguez-Trias, MD
Past President
American Public Health Association
(recently deceased)
Sindhu Srinivas, MD
Past President
American Medical Student Assn.
Gerald Thomson, MD
Former President
American College of Physicians
Walter Tsou, MD, MPH
Former Commissioner of Health,
Philadelphia
Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
International Association of Health Policy 