Editorial: Umbilicus mundi revisited
Dear reader,
We all know that the Earth is flat disk with the North Pole at its center and a 45 m high wall of ice at the outer edge. You do not know? Ask the Flat Earth Society or have a look at the symbol of the World Health Organization, and you will see. But what if the Earth was a sphere, a globe, slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator, rotating, floating through the universe and orbiting the Sun? Obviously this would lead to useless discussions about the centre of this globe’s surface. Try to mark the centre of a ball with a cross… Cultures and empires such as Babylon, Rome, Cusco or the Easter Islands tried it, claiming to be the navel of the world – and later on disappeared.
Nowadays, international health policy faces the same problem: The times when its map was flat with the World Health Organization in its centre are over. International health policy has become “global health policy”, a world of new empires, potentates and leaders who follow the example of the Greeks and Romans, defining themselves as umbilicus mundi. You do not even need to think about Bill Gates, just take the self-proclaimed “World Health Summit” which took place in Berlin, in October. The event organized by the Charité University Hospital was announced as “…the world’s foremost meeting of researchers, physicians, politicians and stake holders within the healthcare system” and is planned to become an annual event.
Well, everybody is free to define himself as navel of the World. No problem with that. I do it myself from time to time. But it is difficult to understand why Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy and the Health Ministries of Germany and France accepted to figure as Government partners of that “World Health Summit”. They should have known better. And so they were taught by the crowd: “This health summit is not qualified to address worldwide health issues. Due to its organizational focus and content the summit will more likely contribute to the problems it claims to solve.” (Public Eye on Berlin). Or: “Rather than creating a parallel policy forum, efforts and resources should be spent strengthening the World Health Organization (WHO) as the international coordinating body for issues related to people’s health. WHO is one of the United Nation organizations in which each country has a voice. The World Health Assembly thus provides a reasonably democratic decision making process, despite mechanisms used by powerful member states to direct the decisions. We are concerned that the declaration of the World Health Summit is likely to preferentially represent the interests of the Global North, corporations and those who financially sponsor the Summit.” (Statement of the People’s Health Movement)
The Earth is a disk with the World Health Assembly at its center and a 45 m high wall of ice at the outer edge. You do not believe it? Just ask the “Flat Earth Society” or have a look at the symbol of the WHO, and you will see.
Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary
Medicus Mundi International Network
World Health Summit website
http://bit.ly/qL4auPeople’s Health Movement statement
http://bit.ly/2VW9WePublic Eye on Berlin statement
http://bit.ly/1ZOgwp
Medicus Mundi International: Network Events and News
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MMI Network news:
Wemos intends to join the MMI Network
MMI Secretariat | The Dutch Wemos Foundation intends to join the Medicus Mundi International Network. Since the joint development of a statement to WHO Europe regarding international recruitment of health personnel, Wemos is closely involved in advocacy activities of the MMI Network. The formal decision on Wemos’ admission will be taken by the next Assembly of Medicus Mundi International in May 2010.
Wemos website: www.wemos.nl
Wemos on the MMI ePlatform: http://bit.ly/3TVIaJ
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MMI Network event: Swiss Tropical Institute
Environmental Health: Here and There
Basel, 10-11 December 2009
STI | “To commemorate the merger of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) with the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI), the 14th STI Symposium is built around the theme of “Environmental health: here and there”. A diverse set of case studies will be featured, both from industrialized countries and developing world settings. This thematic focus reflects the substantial body of research, teaching and training of the merged STI/ISPM centred on environmental health issues in the North and in the South.” (The Swiss Tropical Institute is a member of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland)
STI website: www.sti.ch
Announcement on the MMI ePlatform: http://bit.ly/2TMwVb
MMI Key Issues and Network Topics: Reports, Events, Resources
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MMI Key Issue: Global Health Policy
Participate in the European Commission’s online consultation
on the European Union’s role in Global Health
MMI Network Flash | The European Commission has launched an online consultation on the EU role in Global Health. The Consultation will run for eight weeks from 14 October 2009 to 9 December 2009. It is part of a process which shall lead to the adoption of a Communication on the “EU’s role in Global Health” during the Spanish Presidency.
The consultation takes the form of an outline document and questionnaire that all EU citizens and relevant organisations are invited to complete and return. Contributions to the document might also be posted online. The consultation puts three main focuses, the first two of them highly relevant for the MMI Network members based in the European Union:
- Global Health and development cooperation
- Research and development and Global Health
- The impact of globalization on EU health
MMI Network Flash, 21 October 2009: http://bit.ly/I7rqJ
EC website: http://bit.ly/3ly2Fr
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MMI Key Issue: Human Resources for Health
Handbook on monitoring and evaluation of human resources for health
WHO |“This handbook offers health managers, researchers and policy makers a comprehensive and standard reference for monitoring and evaluating human resources for health. It brings together an analytical framework with strategy options, as well as country experiences.” (WHO, WB, USAID, October 2009)
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MMI Key Issue: Health Workforce Migration
Health personnel across borders. The Norwegian Position
WHO Europe | “Health personnel are mobile and want to work outside their countries of origin. There is presently considerable international migration of health personnel. Rich countries will have a need for more health personnel in the years to come. The training capacity will probably be insufficient to meet this need. Some countries recruit health personnel from other countries which themselves have a great need for health personnel. Ethical recruitment is a requirement.” (In: Migration and health. Challenges and trends, Norwegian Directorate of Health, May 2009, pages 70 ff., PDF)
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MMI Key Issue: Health Financing
Performance Incentives for Global Health: Potential and Pitfalls
CGDev | “Donors have traditionally paid for inputs – doctors’ salaries, medical equipment – in the hope that they would lead to better health. Performance incentives turn the equation on its head. They start with the result – more children immunized, for example – and let health workers and managers on the ground decide how to achieve them.” Rena Eichler et al, CGDev 2009
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MMI Key Issue: Access to health
World Health Statistics 2009
WHO | World Health Statistics 2009 contains WHO’s annual compilation of data from its 193 Member States, and includes a summary of progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals and targets. This edition also contains a new section on reported cases of selected infectious diseases. Available in 6 languages.