Our campaign
Act Now for Health has been initiated by five organisations: Action for Global Health, Global Movement for Children, Oxfam International Save the Children UK and WorldVision International. We would like others to join our campaign to get government ministers from around the world to sign the statement pledging they will fight for health to be a priority in 2008.
If you would like to use our campaign materials, PDFs of our banner and the postcards we are distributing at the World Health Assembly can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Health campaigners making a difference in 2008
Given the importance of 2008 for health, the aims of the ACT NOW FOR HEALTH campaign are:
- To draw attention to the 30th anniversary of Alma Ata and the commitment to health care for all.
- To reaffirm the importance of equity, the right to health and the achievement of the MDGs
- To call for greater attention to the need to strengthen health systems and address the global health workforce crisis
- To demand more funding for health.
- To build awareness amongst supporters and targets that people worldwide are campaigning for improved healthcare for all and will be demanding and monitoring tangible change for the better.
Collectively, this group has identified the World Health Assembly has a moment to work together and start building momentum around the importance of making real decisions to improve health services for 2008. We have decided to do the following:
- Have a statement that development and health ministers can sign during 2008, to publicly recommit to the Alma Ata principle and the need to meet the MDGs. This statement would then be used as a tool for national and global level advocacy and campaigning.
- Conduct joint media work done before, during and after the WHA to promote the statement and around the ministers who sign it, as well as the need of action on health during 2008
- Have a joint presence at the WHA to mark the Alma Ata anniversary and to put pressure on health ministers to act to meet this principle.
What we’re calling on Governments and Civil Society to do
Campaigners are asking world leaders to:
- To recommit to the principles of Alma Ata and their energies to meeting the health MDGS
- To commit the political will and financial resources needed to achieve health for all as defined by Alma Ata and the health MDGs
Campaigners are asking civil society to:
- Ask their health or development minister to sign the statement (available online at www.actnowforhealth.org)
- Use this commitment made by the health/development minister as a tool to campaign and advocate for governments to deliver health services for all.
Banners of the campaign
At the World Health Assembly we will be there with a simple message. The lack of access to health and healthcare that was wrong in 1978 is still wrong now. The actions that the Alma Ata Declaration promised are still needed. We will be talking to ministers and government delegations to get them to take a stand and say, this year, 2008, has to be the year of real action on health.
Postcards
Please feel free to make use of these postcards on your own material if you support ACT NOW FOR HEALTH.
