The 42nd Regional Health Ministers' Conference with the theme “Scaling up Best Practices in health care in East, Central and Southern Africa” took place at the Sun n Sand Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya from the 6th to the 11th of February, 2006. The conference was ttended by Health Ministers from the ECSA Region, representatives of regional and international organizations as well as developmental agencies. Resolutions were passed at the conference in twelve major areas of health in the region.
Values, Policies and Rights
Resolutions of the 42nd regional health minister’s conference
East, Central and Southern African (ECSA) Health Community
Further details: /newsletter/id/31448
South African child guage 2005
Eldis news: Jacobs M, Shung-King M, Smith C
This publication examines the links between the practical situation of children in South Africa, South Africa’s commitments to child rights, and society’s progress in this regard. The document discusses the country’s response to different aspects of the challenge of realising children’s rights, and presents a set of broad-based indicators aimed at gauging improvements in the situation of children over time. This issue focuses on children and policy; HIV and AIDS and children, and the number of children with access to social assistance and basic services.
Status of national research bioethics committees in the WHO African region
Kirigia JM, Wambebe C, Baba-Moussa A: BMC Medical Ethics 2005, 6:10
The Regional Committee for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 expressed concern that some health-related studies undertaken in the Region were not subjected to any form of ethics review. In 2003, the study reported in this paper was conducted to determine which Member country did not have a national research ethics committee (REC) with a view to guiding the WHO Regional Office in developing practical strategies for supporting those countries. In the current era of globalized biomedical research, good ethics stewardship demands that every country, irrespective of its level of economic development, should have in place a functional research ethics review system in order to protect the dignity, integrity and safety of its citizens who participate in research.
A global campaign for the right to health
People\'s Health Movement, South Africa
The People's Health Movement (PHM) would like to invite civil society organizations, interested individuals and groups to participate in discussing the possibility of hosting such a campaign in South Africa. It would also contribute to building civil society for the Third People’s Health Assembly, planned for 2010 at an African venue (to be determined). This edition of Critical Health Perspectives sketches the background to the campaign and some of the thinking behind it.
Citizen consumers? Using public services is not like shopping
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
A new British white paper on health suggests that patients should be offered more choice. However, visiting the doctor or phoning the police is simply not like shopping, according to people questioned for a new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which found that most of us reject the trend towards treating everyone as 'consumers'.
Developing a human rights-based approach to addressing maternal mortality
WHO (Mozambique)
This paper looks at how approaches based on human rights could accelerate a reduction in maternal mortality, drawing on evidence from case studies. It argues that, despite fifteen years of the global Safe Motherhood Initiative, maternal mortality rates are still high, and attributes this to the status of women, the systematic violation of women's human rights, and failing health systems. A rights-based approach could help policymakers to focus on the economic, social, cultural and political forces that make it harder for poor women to access maternal health care, and especially emergency obstetric care.
Policy Brief on WIPO development agenda and human rights, 3D
3D : Trade - Human Rights - Equitable Economy
A 3D Policy Brief has been released on "Intellectual Property, Development and Human Rights: How Human Rights Can Support Proposals for a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Development Agenda." It encourages advocates, policy-makers and WIPO Member States to elaborate an actionable, pro-development WIPO intellectual property agenda consistent with States' development commitments and human rights obligations. The Policy Brief is available in English, French and Spanish.
Stigma and its public health implications
Stigma processes have a dramatic and probably under-recognised effect on the distribution of life chances such as employment opportunities, housing, and access to medical care. We believe that under-recognition occurs because attempts to measure the impact of stigma have generally restricted analysis to one circumstance (eg, AIDS, obesity, race, or mental illness) and examined only one outcome (eg, earnings, self esteem, housing, or social interactions). If all stigmatised conditions were considered together and all outcomes examined we believe that stigma would be shown to have an enormous impact on people's lives.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights
Eldis health key issues
Aimed at policymakers, donors and practitioners working in health and beyond, this Eldis Health key issues guide reviews current policy issues and explores cutting-edge debates relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also highlights current and future challenges for attaining greater levels of sexual and reproductive well-being, and considers the role of innovative technologies and approaches in achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
The Health Rights of Women Assessment Instrument (HeRWAI)
Source : PHA-Exchange
The Health Rights of Women Assessment Instrument (HeRWAI) is a strategic tool to enhance lobbying activities for better implementation of women's health rights. It can be used as a tool to analyse a wide range of policies, including those impacting but not directly addressing health issues. A HeRWAI analysis links what actually happens with what should happen according to the human rights obligations of a country. It examines local, national and international influences. The HeRWAI analysis consists of six steps, which analyse a policy that influences women's health rights. Each step consists of information and questions to guide the analysis.