Title: APHA JOINT POLICY COMMITTEE - PROPOSED IH SECTION RESOLUTION

Author:

Section/SPIG: International Health

Issue Date:

---

As part of its strategic plan this year, the IH Section proposed two resolutions on international health policy for consideration by the broader APHA organization. One concerned the issue of aggressive, unethical recruitment of health professionals away from impoverished nations of the world. The other opposed the imposition of health and education spending limits as components of structural adjustment policies imposed by lenders (such as the International Monetary Fund) to indebted poor countries.

Perhaps APHA isn’t asked often enough to consider international health issues, as evidenced by the reaction to our proposals. The Joint Policy Committee considers resolutions for acceptance or denial prior to consideration by the Governing Council, and had many questions about our proposals. At the time of this newsletter, the JPC had still not made a decision about whether to recommend the structural adjustment resolution, as it felt the need to conduct some independent research on the topic.

The ethical recruitment resolution was substantially revised in response to JPC questions and recommendations, but even so was slated for a “do not pass” recommendation until we agreed to remove the entire recommended code of ethics from the document. We agreed to do this in protest, to keep the resolution alive, but hope to make amendments from the floor when the December meeting of the Governing Council considers the issue. Watch for the hearing schedule in your Annual Meeting schedule, and plan to attend if you can. You can find both resolutions (and the proposed edits) on the IH Section Web site.

Ironically, the World Federation of Public Health Association adopted the ethical recruitment resolution in its entirety at its 10th Congress in the spring.

--Amy Hagopian, MHA, PhD, E-mail: hagopian@u.washington.edu