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Advocacy Committee calls: noon EST
Feb. 6,
April 2,
June 4,
August 6, and
October 1 |
Time to get organized for 2008. Below is our committee plan for the year.
Advocacy Committee
November 15, 2007
Members:
The agenda (goals) for the APHA International Health Advocacy Committee for 2007/08 include:
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# |
Goal |
Lead advocate |
|
1 |
Ensure US International aid policy advances humanitarian public health priorities and health as a human right as its primary motivators. |
Wendy Johnson |
|
2 |
Raise awareness of the issues associated with aid effectiveness and policy approaches to strengthening health systems in low-income countries. |
Elvira Beracochea |
|
3 |
Build health workforce capacity in low-income countries. |
Amy Hagopian |
|
4 |
Advance maternal and child health, especially by improving child survival and decreasing maternal mortality. |
Miriam Labbok
Donna Barry |
|
5 |
Encourage US and other donors to address issues of low-income country food aid and food security. |
Donna Barry |
|
6 |
Seek opportunities to demonstrate APHA International Health Section solidarity with health workers facing threats. |
Leonard Rubenstein |
|
7 |
Promote universal coverage in US, and sustain public health systems abroad. |
Meredith Fort |
Activities for this year:
Goal #1: Humanitarian and human rights focus for US aid--
1. Morgan Taylor will continue to represent the committee in DC-area coalitions, including Global Health Council, to help shape PEPFAR reauthorization. We’re specifically looking for increased resources to actively address HIV prevention and get more people on treatment, and to ensure the funding is aimed at strengthening health systems as a whole.
2. We will continue to monitor the USAID Partner Vetting proposal. The program is currently limited to a pilot for Gaza and West Bank.
3. Several section members are working to develop a Code of Conduct for NGOs working in International Health to ensure health system strengthening. The code will address activities of international NGOs, donors, universities and similar organizations.
4. Elvira Beracochea will organize another scientific session on aid effectiveness for the 2008 APHA conference.
5. We will write an APHA position paper or resolution on health system strengthening for 2008 Governing Council consideration (Amy Hagopian to lead).
Goal #3: Workforce issues--
6. We will continue to work with Physicians for Human Rights and other allies to obtain passage of the Africa Health Capacity Investment Act: S805 and HR3812, now actively under consideration in the Congress. We will continue to seek additional Congressmen to co-sponsor of the bill, especially Republicans.
Goal #4: Maternal and Child health--
7. We will work with the Maternal and Child Health section and the Food & Nutrition sections to leverage the effectiveness of the APHA position paper that we passed in 2007.
8. We will work to support funding increases for international child survival, and to address the international maternal mortality crisis.
Goal #5: Food Security--
9. We will work with Partners in Health to find opportunities to support food security, especially in settings where HIV rates are high.
10. Work with Food and Nutrition section on a resolution related to the international aid components of the Farm Bill.
Goal #6: Health worker solidarity--
11. We will partner with other organizations such as Physicians for Human Rights and the UK Public Health Association to respond to health worker attacks as they occur, keeping a special eye on Zimbabwe, where we have relationships with the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
12. We will watch the treatment of health workers in China as the Olympics approach.
13. We will work with APHA as a whole to pursue a universal coverage agenda, while defending the public and universal nature of health systems abroad as they are threatened by privatization schemes promoted by international monetary and banking systems that hold the debt of low-income countries.
Internal APHA organizational and communication issues:
· Post our advocacy agenda on our web page;
· Use the listserve for IH section to inform members of opportunities to advocate for our issues;
· Sponsor more scientific sessions on our issues for 2008; and
· Leverage the effectiveness of resolutions after they are passed.
· Work with APHA advocacy/legislative staff at APHA in promoting IH issues before Congress. We are lucky to have an extraordinary level of staff support; all members of the section should seek opportunities to show their appreciation.
· Work with APHA’s Action Board to pursue joint advocacy issues.