Alternative Astana Statement

From: B Lloyd <blloyd@phmovement.org> 

We have changed wording in the second paragraph (after the final WHO declaration was published) and have also removed “DRAFT” from the title.

 We are still collecting endorsements until PHA4 – if anyone says they cannot connect / get an error message, please ask that they go to this page http://phmovement.org/alternative-civil-society-astana-declaration-on-primary-health-care/.

See attached

Alternative Civil Society Astana Statement on Primary Health Care
We, members of public interest civil society organisations and social movements, some of whom are
participants at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care, re-affirm our commitment to primary health care (PHC) in pursuit of health and well-being for all, aiming to achieve equity in health outcomes. We envision:

Societies and environments that prioritize, protect and promote people’s health;
Health care that is accessible, affordable and acceptable for everyone, everywhere;
Health care of good quality that treats people with respect and dignity;
Health systems over which communities are able to exert control

Although these objectives are shared in the official Astana Declaration it is concerning that the latter frames PHC primarily as a “cornerstone”, i.e. a foundation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). PHC, is broader and indeed subsumes UHC, which is, in many countries, being implemented by private health insurance companies and aggravating health inequities. While the official declaration recognises that it is “ethically, politically, socially and economically unacceptable that inequity in health and disparities in health outcomes persist” it does not acknowledge that health gains in some places are being reversed. /.../