ABOUT THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH MOVEMENT SCOTLAND
The People’s Health Movement (PHM) Scotland is part of the global PHM social movement working towards the progressive realisation of a fairer & healthier world. We campaign for a fairer and healthier Scotland, bring together activists and advocates looking to make health a right for all across the globe, and critically analyse Scottish policy and practice for tackling health inequalities.
The People’s Health Movement (PHM) developed as a response to the failure of the goal “Health for All by the year 2000” in the Alma Ata declaration to be realised. By the end of the year 2000 several international organisations, civil society movements, NGOs and women’s groups organised the first People’s Health Assembly in December, Savar Bangladesh. Here they formulated and endorsed the People’s Charter for Health. The PHM rose from this Assembly as a body of health rights proponents who would demand Health for All Now across the globe; a worldwide citizen’s movement committed to making the Alma-Ata dream a reality. One of the countries where PHM has established a steering group and working group is Scotland.
PHM organised the People’s Health Assembly in Edinburgh April 2014 and through the series of consultations undertaken with 120+ PHM members and wider networks generated 20 demands and developed a People’s Health Manifesto informed by people’s lived experiences. PHM Scotland is also part of wider PHM UK, whose vision is a future in which health equity and social justice is made a reality for the UK and overseas communities.
OUR MANIFESTO
Our manifesto, released in 2021, comprises a list of 32 demands, set around seven key actions that have arisen from a partnership of individuals, organisations and community groups from across the country. They have been compiled from a process of dialogue and debate which actively sought to engage a wide and inclusive range of voices and perspectives, many of which are not heard when forging national health policies.
They are expressed in seven actions which we endorse as the steps needed to improve Scotland’s health. These actions are:
- Prioritising health in all policies
- Tackling poverty and socioeconomic inequalities
- Playing an active and leading role in tackling the climate emergency
- Protecting our NHS and improving social care services
- Improving democratic debate and accountability
- Acknowledging and addressing longstanding injustices and protecting diversity and equality
- Reducing exposure to health risks at work and at home
To read the full list of demands and find out more about the context of Scotland’s current health, read the full manifesto here!
IMPACT OF COVID ON HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN GLASGOW
The People’s Health Movement Scotland held a Glasgow People’s Health Inquiry on September 21 2021. Its aim was to stimulate a dialogue between community groups, third sector organisations, policy makers and politicians on health and health inequalities in Glasgow in light of the COVID pandemic and about future challenges.
The key findings were that COVID has both exacerbated the causes and consequences of pre-existing health inequalities and created additional threats in terms of social isolation, new experiences of poverty, workplace harms and exposure to physical and emotional abuse. There were some indications of policy responses that supported new ways of using outside space and of active travel. Within communities, there appears to have been a significant growth in mutual aid. Overall, it is clear that current and past policy responses to the underlying issues which create and exacerbate the conditions of inequality and impact on the social determinants of health have proved ineffectual. Austerity and the prevalence of insecure, poorly paid work along with the impact of ‘welfare reform’ continue to create serious threats to health and wellbeing among significant sections of the population.
RESOURCES
WHO WILL SAFEGUARD SCOTLAND’S FUTURE HEALTH?
2021, Bella Caledonia
HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN SCOTLAND – ALL RHETORIC, NO CHANGE?
2019, PHMS Report
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY
2016, Journal of Public Health
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