say Gorik Ooms and Dave McCoy
The global financial crisis will affect hundreds of thousands of households worldwide, adding to the millions of people already living in poverty.
This crisis will affect households among the ‘top billion’ people as well – those mainly living in high-income countries. But on the whole, most of these people can rely on social protection. Social protection (or welfare or social security) is one of the key developments of modern western society, helping to provide a basic minimum standard for all. Such social protection is usually funded through some form of taxation, which also allows the fruits of economic development to be more evenly and fairly spread across society. Social protection can be seen as a defining characteristic of the modern and progressive state as well as of democratic citizenship and an essential element of a truly inclusive society.
For most of the world, life is much more precarious. Social security nets are at best patchy, if not non-existent. The effects of the financial crisis and subsequent economic recession and unemployment will be severe. Levels of absolute household poverty will rise with limited or no social security, and we can expect this to be translated into higher rates of mortality, malnutrition and disease. Read more…
Newsletter 3, 16th April 2009
In this 3rd newsletter from EG4H…
* Read about the subtext of the G20 meeting and find out what the politicians really meant
* The Task Force for International Innovative Financing for Health Systems is preparing to announce its recommendations before the G8 next month in Italy. What is the future for HIV/AIDS funding?
* Can the private sector fund the gap and deliver better health services? A new Report from PSP-One says it can, but Oxfam says no and busts a few myths along the way.
* Just out! Links to the latest briefs, reports, and events on economic governance for health Read more…
Communiqués such as the one issued following last week’s G20 Summit in London are meticulously drafted in a diplomatic language all their own. It is designed, not to be understood, but to provide a warm glow of confidence that something will be done, and that this something will make everything alright for everybody – even if we can’t quite figure out what exactly it is.
Here we offer an interpretation of what the first part of the G20 communiqué really means and what it might have said before it was translated into diplomatese – what the G20 Leaders really wanted to tell the rest of us, but didn’t quite like to say in as many words…
Read more…
Newsletter 2, 8th April 2009
What a week it’s been! The G20 has come and gone, but what does this mean for the economic governance of health? The International Monetary Fund is the talk of the town, but what is it and what has the G20 done to boost its profile? What is the future for the International Health Partnership – a storm is brewing in Nepal. Read more…
David Woodward
The G20 Communiqué issued yesterday recognises explicitly, in its second paragraph, that “A global crisis requires a global solution”. But at no point does it recognise any need for a global process to decide what that global solution should be. The G20 members appear determined that they, and they alone, should determine the future course of the global economy – and that it should be designed to protect their financial interests and promote their preferred economic model, with no more than token gestures towards limiting the damage to the rest of the world. Extraordinarily, they even refer to the IMF and World Bank as their international financial institutions, and proclaim that they will reform them. They are trying to seize control of the global economy; but in doing so, they are amply demonstrating why they must not be allowed to succeed.
Read more…
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EG4Health Newsletter, Number 1
Wednesday April 1st 2009
EG4Health launched, and swimming with the tide
Last week saw the launch of EG4Health, accompanied by a Lancet editorial and commentary.
The launch coincided with protests and campaigns across the world and involving hundreds of thousands of people who are unhappy and angry the evidence of global financial mis-management, corruption and rising economic inequalities.
Among the protests was the Put People First march in London (which will host tomorrow’s G20 meeting), supported by over 150 civil society organisations. They presented a 12 point plan for democratic economic governance, as well as a more detailed policy paper.
Will the G20 deliver? No …
It is already clear that the G20 will not deliver on the health and economic needs of the poorest countries and poorest people, as described in the Bretton Woods Project’s reaction to the G20 finance meeting that took place on March 14th.
But there is no reason to think that the G20 would ever deliver since it is dominated by governments and other actors who have an interest in only fixing the system rather than calling for the fundamental and democratic reforms that are required to eradicate poverty, prevent climate disaster and provide health for all.
We need to demand a more inclusive, transparent and democratic process to be conducted under the auspices of the UN. Indeed, a UN panel of senior international economists have already called for the G20 to be replaced by a new Global Economic Council.
Read more…
Zimbabwe’s health system is failing to meet the needs of its population and urgently needs treatment itself. Political and economic crisis is leading to health infrastructure collapse. A devastating cholera epidemic, shortages of drugs and low (or no) pay for health workers are symptoms of this collapse in healthcare. Andy Guise
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Last year, the World Health Organisation’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) released its final report after a long process of evidence gathering, consultations with governments and civil society groups, and careful deliberation.
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Last week an international global health conference at Chatham House London, included a session on the financial crisis. I chaired that session and I asked delegates what they wanted to ask the G20. We had a lively discussion! I have listed some of the delegates suggestions below. Rhona MacDonald
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