Kampala Declaration on cooperation and solidarity for health equity within and beyond aid

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

• Kampala Declaration (English, PDF): KI basics – Declaration
• Kampala Declaration (German, PDF): KI basics – Declaration german
  Thanks to BUKO Pharma Kampagne for this translation!
• Kampala Declaration (Spanish, PDF): KI basics – Declaration spanish
  Thanks to the Federation of Medicus Mundi Spain for this translation!
  …further translations are welcome.

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. Equal International
32. Foundation for Integrated Rural Development (FIRD) , Uganda
33. German Institute for Medical Mission (Difäm e.V.)
34. Global Health Advocates France / Action Santé Mondiale
35. Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR)
36. Global Justice Now
37. Global Participe
38. Golden Change For Concerned Youth Forum
39. Good Health Community Programmes
40. Health Alliance International
41. Health Poverty Action, UK
42. Human Rights Research Documentation Center (HURIC), Uganda
43. Indigenous Peoples Global Forum for Sustainable Development (IPFforSD)
44. Initiative for good governance and transparency in Tanzania
45. Innovations for Development (I4DEV)
46. Innovative Alliance for Public Health (IAPH)
47. Justice is Global, USA
48. Kamukunji Paralegal Trust (KAPLET)
49. Kasalika Community Development Organization, Malawi
50. Let There Be Light International
51. LiveWell Initiative LWI, Nigeria
52. MauriSanté
53. Medical Impact
54. medico international, Germany
55. Medicus Mundi International – Network Health for All (MMI)
56. Medicus Mundi Spain
57. Medicus Mundi Switzerland
58. MUMBO international
59. Muslim Family Counselling Services Ghana
60. Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Actions Network (NUHCAN)
61. Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers
62. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative, Nigeria
63. Partners In Health
64. Peace Foundation, Pakistan
65. People’s Health Movement (PHM)
66. People’s Health Movement Canada/Mouvement populaire pour la santé au Canada
67. People’s Health Movement Kenya
68. People’s Health Movement Scotland
69. People’s Health Movement Uganda
70. People’s Health Movement UK
71. People’s Health Movement USA
72. plan:g – partnership for global health
73. Policies for Equitable Access to Health (PEAH)
74. Public Health International Consulting Center (PHICC), Cameroon
75. IMAAP Projects, Nigeria
76. Public Health Organization (PHOrg), DRC
77. Rose Academies
78. Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy Uganda
79. SHAPE (Support Heal and Purpose to Elevate), Kenya
80. Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN)
81. Southern Africa Climate Change Coalition
82. Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI), Uganda
83. STOPAIDS
84. Sukaar welfare organization Pakistan
85. The People’s Fund for Global Health and Development
86. Ukana West 2 Community Based Health Initiative, Nigeria
87. Union des Amis Socio Culturels d’Action en Developpement (UNASCAD), Haiti
88. Viva Salud
89. Volunteers Welfare for Community Based Care of Zambia (VOWAZA)
90. WASH-Net Sierra Leone
91. Wemos
92. West African Academy of Public Health (WAAPH), Nigeria
93. Wote Youth Development Projects, Kenya
94. Wun Anei Development Association WADA South Sudan
95. Youth and Environment Vision
96. YADNET UGANDA (Youth Advocacy and Development Network)
97. Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition

List in alphabetic order. Last update in December 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.Equa

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. Evan Lee, MD, MBA – Switzerland
40. Francis Ohanyido, Development Expert, President WAAPH, Abuja
41. Frank Gramsen Kizza
42. Frederik Federspiel
43. Gift Chinyama Mwale
44. Giorgio Alberto Franyuti
45. Gisela Schneider, Dr med, Director Difäm e.V.
46. Hamimu Masudi, Public Policy and Communication Analyst, Uganda
47. Harriet Adong, Executive Director FIRD, Uganda
48. Harrison Mwima, Health Activist, Zambia
49. Harry Coleman
50. Hazel Brearley, UK
51. Hulya Yuksel, Finland
52. Ian Smith
53. Ibrahim Umar
54. Ikwo Oka, Social Entrepreneur, Lagos, Nigeria
55. Jennifer Lentfer
56. Jesse Bump, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston USA
57. Jens Holst
58. Jessica Aiken
59. Jonathan Kassibu
60. Josephine McAllister
61. Jostas Mwebembezi (MPH), Executive Director Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy
62. Joviah Gonza
63. Julia E Robinson
64. Justice Zvaita, SACC Coalition
65. Kareem Karassery
66. Katie Robjent
67. Kiiza Africa, SEATINI
68. Kuldip Chand, Director ARPAN V&PO Dobhetta Tehsil Nangal Distt. Rupnagar Punjab
69. Labila Sumayah Musoke, Human rights lawyer, Women’s health & justice initiative, Reproductive justice, Uganda
70. 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
71. Linda Shouro, PHM Africa Outreach Coordinator
72. Lizzy Igbine
73. Luke Wanjala Kapchanga
74. Marco Angelo, Medical Doctor, MSc in Global Health
75. Marie Solange Ngoueko, Executive Director of Public Health International Consulting Center, Cameroon
76. Martin Drewry, CEO of Health Poverty Action & member of People’s Health Movement (PHM)
77. Maryam Bibi Rumaney, www.mbrumaney.co, South Africa
78. Matthias Wittrock
79. Michael Wakelyn-Green
80. Michael Ssemakula, Development Economist, HURIC
81. Mohammed Bun Bida, Programmes Director, Muslim Family Counselling Services, Ghana
82. Monika Peruffo, Belgium
83. Myria Koutsoumpa, Global health advocate, Wemos
84. Oupa Montsioa, Regional Health Manager
85. Patrick Yowasi Kadama, ACHEST
86. Peter Diing Ngong, Aweil (NBGs)
87. Peter Owiti, Health activist, Kenya
88. Pol de Vos, Belgium
89. Ravi Ram, Health systems evaluator, Nairobi, Kenya
90. Sara (Meg) Davis, Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute, Geneva
91. Sarah Cowen-Rivers
92. Sarah M Baird
93. Serge Laurent Djacpou Djomo
94. Siomha Cunniffe, Development and Network Manager
95. Spéro Hector Ackey
96. Sunit Bagree, UK
97. Tess Wolfenden, UK
98. Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary, MMI Network
99. Tumainiel Mangi
100. Uzodinma Adirieje, CEO/National Coordinator, Afrihealth Optonet Association (CSOs Network)
101. Williams Ngwakwe
102. Wilson Damien Asibu, Health Advocate, Executive Director, Country Minders for Peoples Development, Malawi

List in alphabetic order. Last update in January 2024

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.