Text of the Declaration

Across the world, health equity is denied, and development assistance for health – “aid” – often reinforces the power imbalances that underlie health inequities. The priorities of Northern donors dictate the aid agenda, implemented by NGOs and Southern ‘partners’ they fund. These priorities often clash with the needs and concerns of communities, governments and civil society in many countries around the world.

The aid space is dominated by powerful interests, while the voices of those most affected by health inequity are regularly tokenised or excluded from the conversation. Many actors within the sector – even among communities and civil society – do not question the underlying premise and structures of health aid. Their own ideas and world views have been shaped by, and for, aid and the industry that supports it. Questioning aid poses challenges to the professions, livelihoods and sources of power for those who work within the sector.

Furthermore, whilst health aid is important in some situations, on its own aid can never lead to a world where all people can live healthy lives. To do so, we must tackle the underlying root causes that create and perpetuate poor health, including unfair trade agreements, tax injustice, the climate crisis, the weakness of existing guidance on health assistance, the unfettered exploitation and extraction of natural resources, under-resourced health systems, and the politico-economic incentives that reinforce those disease-producing forces. These social, commercial, economic and political determinants of health have been tolerated or ignored by aid, thereby reinforcing the health inequities that aid is meant to resolve.

We believe that collective social action in solidarity as one global community, working together to address the root causes of our struggle for health, can transform aid into an equitable means of ensuring health rights. This means acting out of compassion in the pursuit of justice, and caring, listening and helping each other in a way that promotes connectedness and equity throughout the world.

Through the Kampala Initiative, we commit to expose, explore, challenge and transform health aid through dialogue, advocacy, activism and action. We commit to build cooperation and solidarity for health, within and beyond the practice of aid, to build a future where health justice and equity are realised, and aid is no longer a necessity.

Specifically we will:

  • Advance a critical analysis of aid and challenge its misuse;
  • Challenge the power dynamics at the heart of aid structures;
  • Acknowledge and act upon the root causes of poor health, never pretending that aid is the solution;
  • Challenge damaging narratives of aid and charity where they exist;
  • Correct damaging power dynamics where they exist within our own organisations;
  • Collaborate in solidarity as partners in the Global South and North, to ensure that international health finance is grounded in social justice rather than neo-colonial ideas and practices.

Kampala/Geneva, 27 January 2020


Institutional endorsements

  1. Abubuwa Societal Development Initiatives, Nigeria
  2. ACADI Cameroon
  3. Africa Foundation for Community Department (AFCOD-UGANDA)
  4. African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST)
  5. African Coalition on Green Growth
  6. African Platform for Migration and Inclusion in Health (APMIH)
  7. Afrihealth Optonet Association, Nigeria
  8. Agapewo Ministry Uganda
  9. Ageing Nepal
  10. Amel Association International
  11. Approche Participative Développement et Santé de Proximité (APDSP)
  12. ARPAN, India
  13. Asociacion Colombiana De Educacion Al Consumidor
  14. Associação Coalizão da Juventude Moçambicana
  15. Association pour l’Integration et le Developpement Durable au Burundi
  16. ATHAANG, Pune, India
  17. Blood patients protection council Kerala, India
  18. BUKO Pharma-Kampagne
  19. CEHURD – Center for Health Human Rights & Development, Uganda
  20. Centre for Community Empowerment and Sustainable Development (CESDEV)
  21. Centre for Health Science and Law (Canada)
  22. Centre for Sustainable Access to Health in Africa
  23. Child Watch Tanzania
  24. City & Hamlet Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Nigeria
  25. Coalition des OSC du Bénin pour la Couverture Universelle en Santé
  26. Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS– Uganda)
  27. Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative, Nigeria
  28. Country Minders for Peoples Development (CMPD), Malawi
  29. Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation (DUZAFOUND), Nigeria
  30. Emonyo Yefwe International, Kenya
  31. Foundation for Integrated Rural Development (FIRD) , Uganda
  32. German Institute for Medical Mission (Difäm e.V.)
  33. Global Health Advocates France / Action Santé Mondiale
  34. Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR)
  35. Global Justice Now
  36. Global Participe
  37. Golden Change For Concerned Youth Forum
  38. Health Alliance International
  39. Health Poverty Action, UK
  40. Human Rights Research Documentation Center (HURIC), Uganda
  41. Indigenous Peoples Global Forum for Sustainable Development (IPFforSD)
  42. Initiative for good governance and transparency in Tanzania
  43. Innovations for Development (I4DEV)
  44. Innovative Alliance for Public Health (IAPH)
  45. Justice is Global, USA
  46. Kamukunji Paralegal Trust (KAPLET)
  47. Kasalika Community Development Organization, Malawi
  48. Let There Be Light International
  49. LiveWell Initiative LWI, Nigeria
  50. MauriSanté
  51. Medical Impact
  52. medico international, Germany
  53. Medicus Mundi International – Network Health for All (MMI)
  54. Medicus Mundi Spain
  55. Medicus Mundi Switzerland
  56. MUMBO international
  57. Muslim Family Counselling Services Ghana
  58. Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Actions Network (NUHCAN)
  59. Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers
  60. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative, Nigeria
  61. Partners In Health
  62. Peace Foundation, Pakistan
  63. People’s Health Movement (PHM)
  64. People’s Health Movement Canada/Mouvement populaire pour la santé au Canada
  65. People’s Health Movement Kenya
  66. People’s Health Movement Scotland
  67. People’s Health Movement Uganda
  68. People’s Health Movement UK
  69. People’s Health Movement USA
  70. plan:g – partnership for global health
  71. Policies for Equitable Access to Health (PEAH)
  72. Public Health International Consulting Center (PHICC), Cameroon
  73. IMAAP Projects, Nigeria
  74. Public Health Organization (PHOrg), DRC
  75. Rose Academies
  76. Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy Uganda
  77. SHAPE (Support Heal and Purpose to Elevate), Kenya
  78. Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN)
  79. Southern Africa Climate Change Coalition
  80. Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI), Uganda
  81. STOPAIDS
  82. Sukaar welfare organization Pakistan
  83. The People’s Fund for Global Health and Development
  84. Ukana West 2 Community Based Health Initiative, Nigeria
  85. Union des Amis Socio Culturels d’Action en Developpement (UNASCAD), Haiti
  86. Viva Salud
  87. Volunteers Welfare for Community Based Care of Zambia (VOWAZA)
  88. WASH-Net Sierra Leone
  89. Wemos
  90. West African Academy of Public Health (WAAPH), Nigeria
  91. Wote Youth Development Projects, Kenya
  92. Wun Anei Development Association WADA South Sudan
  93. Youth and Environment Vision
  94. YADNET UGANDA (Youth Advocacy and Development Network)
  95. Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition

List in alphabetic order. Last update in January 2023

By signing the Kampala Declaration, we confirm our commitment to advancing cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid, alongside and as part of the Kampala Initiative. There is no specific obligation associated with signing the Declaration.


Individual Endorsements

  1. Ahmad Nejatian, Nurse, Health Policy Activist
  2. Akaninyene Obot
  3. Alise Abadie
  4. Alison Rosamund Katz
  5. Amona Médard, Congo Brazzaville
  6. Angelo Stefanini, Public Health Physician
  7. Arnold Ikedichi Okpani, Public health worker and researcher, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  8. Ashina Mtsumi
  9. Ausi Kibowa, Programme Assistant, SEATINI
  10. Ayushmita Hazarika-Bourne
  11. Babatunde Fakunle
  12. Baijayanta Mukhopadhyay
  13. Barbara Fienieg, Global health advocate, Wemos
  14. Barbra Nabukeera Uganda
  15. Benjamin Mulindwa, Project Planning and Management , Agapewo Ministry Uganda, Administrator, Jinja
  16. Beverly Longid, Global Coordinator, International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation
  17. Bjorg Palsdottir, CEO of the Training for Health Equity Network: THEnet
  18. Blair Musasizi, Chief Executive Officer, AFCOD-UGANDA
  19. Bonnie Kaiser, Associate Professor, Anthropology and Global Health, UCSD, USA
  20. Carlos Mediano, President Medicus Mundi International
  21. Caroline Aruho, Advocacy and Networking officer, HEPS-Uganda
  22. Christiane Boecker, Guinea
  23. Christy Braham
  24. Clea Gibson, UK
  25. Colleen Daniels, CD Global Consulting
  26. Dada Dadas, ATHAANG, Pune
  27. Damian Lima
  28. Daniel Guerrero León
  29. Danny Gotto, Executive Director Innovations for Development, Kampala Uganda
  30. David Oginga Makori
  31. Denis Bukenya, Coordinator HURIC and PHM Uganda
  32. Derrick Aaron Nsibirwa, Social Worker, Rresearch Oficer, CEHURD, Uganda
  33. Duchi Fejokwu, IMAAP Projects
  34. Elizabeth Muchoki
  35. Emmanuel Nembundah Tangumonkem, Executive President ACADI Cameroon; Contact Person PHM Cameroon
  36. Enock Musungwini, Public Health Consultant and Advisor, Harare, Zimbabwe
  37. Esperanza Ceron-Villaquiran
  38. Esther Kimani
  39. Francis Ohanyido, Development Expert, President WAAPH, Abuja
  40. Frank Gramsen Kizza
  41. Frederik Federspiel
  42. Gift Chinyama Mwale
  43. Giorgio Alberto Franyuti
  44. Gisela Schneider, Dr med, Director Difäm e.V.
  45. Hamimu Masudi, Public Policy and Communication Analyst, Uganda
  46. Harriet Adong, Executive Director FIRD, Uganda
  47. Harrison Mwima, Health Activist, Zambia
  48. Harry Coleman
  49. Hazel Brearley, UK
  50. Ian Smith
  51. Ibrahim Umar
  52. Ikwo Oka, Social Entrepreneur, Lagos, Nigeria
  53. Jennifer Lentfer
  54. Jesse Bump, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston USA
  55. Jessica Aiken
  56. Jonathan Kassibu
  57. Josephine McAllister
  58. Jostas Mwebembezi (MPH), Executive Director Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy
  59. Joviah Gonza
  60. Julia E Robinson
  61. Justice Zvaita, SACC Coalition
  62. Kareem Karassery
  63. Katie Robjent
  64. Kiiza Africa, SEATINI
  65. Kuldip Chand, Director ARPAN V&PO Dobhetta Tehsil Nangal Distt. Rupnagar Punjab
  66. Labila Sumayah Musoke, Human rights lawyer, Women’s health & justice initiative, Reproductive justice, Uganda
  67. Lance Lyle Louskieter, PhD Candidate and Researcher, Health Policy and Systems Research Division, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
  68. Linda Shouro, PHM Africa Outreach Coordinator
  69. Lizzy Igbine
  70. Luke Wanjala Kapchanga
  71. Marco Angelo, Medical Doctor, MSc in Global Health
  72. Marie Solange Ngoueko, Executive Director of Public Health International Consulting Center, Cameroon
  73. Martin Drewry, CEO of Health Poverty Action & member of People’s Health Movement (PHM)
  74. Maryam Bibi Rumaney, www.mbrumaney.co, South Africa
  75. Matthias Wittrock
  76. Michael Wakelyn-Green
  77. Michael Ssemakula, Development Economist, HURIC
  78. Mohammed Bun Bida, Programmes Director, Muslim Family Counselling Services, Ghana
  79. Monika Peruffo, Belgium
  80. Myria Koutsoumpa, Global health advocate, Wemos
  81. Oupa Montsioa, Regional Health Manager
  82. Patrick Yowasi Kadama, ACHEST
  83. Peter Diing Ngong, Aweil (NBGs)
  84. Peter Owiti, Health activist, Kenya
  85. Pol de Vos, Belgium
  86. Ravi Ram, Health systems evaluator, Nairobi, Kenya
  87. Sara (Meg) Davis, Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute, Geneva
  88. Sarah Cowen-Rivers
  89. Sarah M Baird
  90. Serge Laurent Djacpou Djomo
  91. Siomha Cunniffe, Development and Network Manager
  92. Spéro Hector Ackey
  93. Sunit Bagree, UK
  94. Tess Wolfenden, UK
  95. Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary, MMI Network
  96. Tumainiel Mangi
  97. Uzodinma Adirieje, CEO/National Coordinator, Afrihealth Optonet Association (CSOs Network)
  98. Williams Ngwakwe
  99. Wilson Damien Asibu, Health Advocate, Executive Director, Country Minders for Peoples Development, Malawi

List in alphabetic order. Last update in January 2023

By signing the Kampala Declaration, we confirm our commitment to advancing cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid, alongside and as part of the Kampala Initiative. There is no specific obligation associated with signing the Declaration.

Sign the Declaration

An online form for endorsing the Kampala Declaration is available here.

You will find initial lists of endorsements below the text of the Declaration. Please note that it might take us a day or two to add your name to the list. Get in touch with us for any enquiries.


The Kampala Initiative

The Kampala Initiative was launched in Kampala, Uganda on 16th November 2019 at the conclusion of a two-day civil society workshop and a series of public webinars. We are a civil society space and community made up of independent, critical-thinking activists and organizations from all across the world (including across both “northern” and “southern” boundaries). Visit the Kampala Initiative website for more information, and join the Kampala Initiative by endorsing the Kampala Declaration.


Kampala Initiative:
Secretariat / Contact