Thinking about the SDGs – to be followed by the doing! (editorial)
Dear reader,
At a meeting at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, experts from think tanks and academic institutes from all over the world gathered to discuss their role in global health. And on how they can contribute to policy change, in particular to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In her opening speech, Margaret Chan reminded us of the transformative nature of the SDGs and how – because of this transformative nature – they will inevitably cross paths with “the international systems that govern finance, business relations, foreign investment and trade”. Many policies and guidelines that govern our world these days, are made in regional meetings, pinned down in trade and investment treaties, that completely bypass our democratic systems. Especially the area of trade and investment has been mentioned several times in these two days, as both an under researched area and one that has a potentially huge impact on health. Importantly – but not exclusively – because of changes pursued in relation to intellectual property rights, which may well close the doors to affordable medicines.
Researching and spreading the word on the impact of trade and investment treaties is one of the challenges we’ve put on the shoulders of the academic world.
And there’s more. One important lesson that we’ve learned from the MDGs, is that what gets championed is what gets implemented. MDG 8 was the least championed one. The SDGs are much broader in scope, with 17 goals and 169 targets, and thereby cover a much completer picture of the challenges before us. At the same time this constitutes a risk, especially for the goals that are harder to reach and those that are politically more sensitive. Professor Fukuda-Parr pointed out the risks of selectivity and, among others, gave us another important challenge: we need champions for equity and for addressing the social and political determinants of health.
Yet more to come, after all there were a lot of people at the meeting! One of the questions asked, was how think tanks and academic institutions can influence policies. Quickly followed by the question: should they? Especially in a context of weak institutions, too much influence by experts may well undermine democratic processes. Our quest for social justice and equity cannot be put in the hands of experts. To quote Professor Frances Omaswa: “we need a global movement for social justice”. Then what is the role of the experts? Not so much to convince policy makers but to create, recreate and translate knowledge – to policy makers, to the media and to the wider public! To think long-term, take on the difficult issues, and relate the complexity of problems to peoples’ day-to-day reality without simplifying them. “Simplexity” is a new term I learned.
To conclude with: some challenges are right ahead of us and not only concern think tanks and academics: the indicators by which progress on the SDGs will be measured are being finalized in the near future. If what gets measured is what gets done, the future for SDG implementation looks bleak, taken from a blog on the topic by TWN’s director Roberto Bissio. The process is quite far developed but not yet finalized, so civil society attention is badly needed. The fact that the SDGs are accompanied by means of implementation is applauded by many, but also questioned: are these the right measures? What policies and means of implementation do we need for more justice and health for all? What indicators are fit to follow progress? Let’s put our heads together – civil society groups, NGOs, think tanks – you name it, to get some answers!
Mariska Meurs, Wemos
Mariska Meurs represented the MMI Network at the “think tanks meeting”
Contact: mariska.meurs@wemos.nl
MMI Network: Events, news, papers and resources
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Network event: Cordaid and HealthNet TPO
Sexual and Reproductive Health in fragile environments: Turning challenges into opportunities
Amsterdam, 10 December 2015
A symposium about challenges and innovative approaches that have improved the sexual and reproductive health of people in fragile environments will be held at KIT Amsterdam. Lessons learned and good practices shall be shared. This symposium is organised together with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Share-Net International, HealthNet TPO, Cordaid and International Medical Corps.
http://www.kit.nl/health/symposium/
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Drug resistance: From mechanism to management
Basel, 10-11 December 2015
“Drug resistance is emerging globally as a major public health and economic problem. It is both urgent and highly complex, affecting key aspects of human and animal health as well as agriculture and the environment in many interconnected ways. Whether they target pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites or their vectors, few drugs exist today, for which resistance has not already been documented. Join health professionals, researchers and students in a two-day multidisciplinary symposium bringing together national and international experts from a variety of fields to examine and discuss the central aspects of drug resistance, ranging from the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of resistance to the clinical, epidemiological and economic implications.” Symposium of the Swiss TPH, a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland.
http://www.swisstph.ch/news-events/symposia/winter-symposium-2015.html
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Network campaign: HW4All
Sign the European Call to Action!
Deadline: 5 December 2015
A health worker for everyone, everywhere! Sign the Call to Action “Towards strong health workforces and sustainable health systems around the world” for European decision-makers. Signatures collected until 5 December 2015 will be handed over to the European Commission in the event “Exploring the migration-development nexus. Global health aspects of the implementation of the WHO Code Of Practice” in Brussels on 9 December. (MMI and several Network members are partners of the European Project “Health workers for all and all for health workers”)
Call to Action: https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/display/CTA/European+Call+to+Action
Event in Brussels, 9 December: https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/display/NEWS/HW4All+online+collaboration+platform%3A+Latest+news
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Network paper: medico international
Solidarity begins beyond aid
“The implementation of economic and social human rights, including legally binding aid in the event of hardship, has many advantages over mere charitable aid and donation activities, which in the long run are dependent on the goodwill of the individual. Such activities often only alleviate the symptoms of hardship and run the risk of ignoring the political nature of their causes, at the same time even indirectly exonerating the instigators. A contemporary of the French Revolution, the pedagogue and social reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi said: ‘Charity is the drowning of rights in the manure pit of compassion.’ It is these rights, or more precisely economic and social human rights, which we need to re-establish or defend against the neoliberal orientation of politics.”
https://www.medico.de/en/solidarity-begins-beyond-aid-15502/
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Network paper: Health Poverty Action
Drug Policy and the SDGs
“The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched in September 2015, made up of 17 Goals and 169 Targets that set out a plan of action that will shape the mainstream development agenda for the next 15 years. There has already been much debate about how these Goals will be achieved, but the significant issue of drug policy reform has so far been ignored. Health Poverty Action, with the support of the International Drug Policy Consortium, have created a briefing paper which aims to address this gap, to support discussions and demonstrate how global drug control policies are a cross-cutting development issue that impact upon a number of the SDGs.” (Health Poverty Action, November 2015)
http://www.healthpovertyaction.org/speaking-out/rethink-the-war-on-drugs/drug-policy-and-the-sdgs/
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Network conference report: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
A challenge for Switzerland: Achieving health for all in a changing world
Basel, 28 October 2015. “The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have changed the frame of reference for development policy worldwide. By applying a new strategy for international cooperation, Switzerland seeks to live up to SDG expectations. Will Switzerland be able to meet its responsibilities in a changing environment? What can it contribute to maximising health across all stages of life? This year’s Medicus Mundi Switzerland analysed existing challenges and debate comprehensive approaches to strengthening health for all in this new phase.
http://www.medicusmundi.ch/en/conference/a-challenge-for-switzerland-achieving-health-for-all-in-a-changing-world/documentation
MMI Network members: Please send us your eventual contributions for the MMI website (events, news, papers, resources) and the next issue of the newsletter!
MMI Network: Who works where?
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MMI Network – who works where: HealthNet TPO
Women in War
“Millions of women are victim of violence in conflict areas. Rape is often used as a weapon to disrupt communities. Because of this, women lose their honour, their right to property and are outcast by their families. However women play a vital part in rebuilding communities and their resilience is a huge inspiration to cope with the current situation. That’s why HealthNet specifically focuses on improving the situation of women in conflict areas. When starting projects we take into account the differences between regions, cultures and the specific needs.”
http://www.healthnettpo.org/en/1588/women-in-war.html
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MMI Network – who works where: Cordaid
Cordaid receives nearly 30 million to continue work on SRHR
Cordaid, leading a consortium of specialized agencies, has won a tender bid from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to further develop and expand our sexual reproductive health program. The Ministry has allocated an amount of nearly 30 million to the Jeune S3 consortium for five years, starting from 1 January 2016.
https://www.cordaid.org/en/news/cordaid-gets-298-million-continue-work-srhr/
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MMI Network – who works where: Wemos
Partnership for affordable medicines and health workers in East Africa
On November 12 2015, Amref Health Africa, the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST), Health Action International (HAI), Wemos and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement of participation in The Health Systems Advocacy Alliance for Africa (HSA4A). The aim of the partnership is to strengthen the capacity of local organizations to advocate and influence the sexual and reproductive health and rights in East Africa, in specific of marginalized groups such as women and children.
http://www.wemos.nl/news/?v=2&lid=2&id=413&cid=13#.VlLx5L_2obA
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MMI Network – who works where: DWA Cuamm
Diabetes and Hypertension: Better diagnosis among TB patients in Luanda
“People with diabetes have a risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) 3 to 5 times higher than that of the general population. Moreover, diabetes can worsen the clinical course of TB and TB can worsen glycaemic control in people with diabetes. For these reasons, Doctors with Africa CUAMM is implementing a two year pilot project, financed by the World Diabetes Foundation, to improve diabetes and hypertension detection and treatment among TB patients in the Luanda Province.”
http://www.mediciconlafrica.org/en/our-voice/news/diabetes-hypertension-tb-luanda/
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MMI Network – who works where: Emergenza Sorrisi
Emergenza Sorrisi: Missions
The section “missioni” (in Italian only) of the website of this MMI Network member provides an overview of upcoming and past surgical missions of Emergenza Sorrisi to assist children affected by cleft lip and palate (CLP), facial deformities, burns, war trauma, neoplasia, orthopaedic and eye disorders.
http://www.emergenzasorrisi.it/missioni/index.html
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MMI Network – who works where: i+ solutions
i+solutions: Our global impact
i+solutions is active in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. Please click on a bullet in the interactive map on the website of this MMI Network member to see more about its involvement in the following categories: Suppliers; partners: projects, Pooled Procurement Mechanism, Supply Chain Management System.
http://www.iplussolutions.org/impact
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MMI Network – who works where: EPN
EPN members
“EPN counts 92 Anglophone and Francophone members (and still growing!) from over 30 countries, who are categorized as full members or associate members. Full members are organizations that are directly owned or part of a church or church-related organization involved in health. Associate members are individuals, organizations, agencies or associations at national or international level subscribing to similar values.”