Health

On 6 April, the United Nurses Association (UNA) released an open letter to the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan that demands a fair resolution to the industrial dispute at KVM Hospital in Cherthala, Alappuzha. For more than 6 months, nurses from KVM have been on an indefinite strike demanding for statutory wages and better working conditions. UNA is the union representing the KVM nurses.

For the second year, in collaboration with the People’s Health Movement (PHM) on the Global Health Watch programme which PHM organizes for the civil society movement in international health, a young health activist from a PSI affiliate participated in the WHO Watch at the World Health Organization Executive Board session in January 2018.

Two unions of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal have decided to work together towards a joint set of demands to amplify their voice and ensure recognition as employees of the government's health system and obtain decent working conditions for their members.

The Tanzanian government has taken some steps to improve health access to all citizens, including a budget increase of 35 per cent. But for the health workers’ trade union TUGHE, to improve both the quality of services in the health sector and productivity in the country, the government should invest more in improving health employees’ working conditions and motivation.

Health sector workers in Lome, Togo, are resuming a series of strike actions in all public health provision centers across the country with effect from 27 March to 30 March 2018. A minimum service will however be guaranteed where necessary.

In a discussion with PSI, George Poe Williams, General Secretary of NAHWUL, Liberia, expressed his heartfelt frustration at the situation in the country, but also his hope for the future with the new government of President George Weah who recently met with the health sector unions, as earlier reported by PSI. Here are some extracts from the discussion.

The Oregon House of Representatives made history on 13 February 2018, voting to pass the HOPE amendment to amend Oregon’s Constitution and recognize health care as a fundamental right.

After the UK’s 2017 general election, UNISON established its “Pay Up Now!” campaign, calling for the end of the public sector pay cap and the restoration of real terms pay rises for all public sector workers.