PSI launches the Human Right to Health Campaign in Southern Africa

Addressing affiliates and activists before the launch, the General Secretary of PSI, Rosa Pavanelli, said that

“An important part of the aims of the campaign is to assist affiliates in playing their active role as change agents across the world, mobilising and winning policy influence for the achievement of global health equity, while fulfilling their mandate as health workers in rendering a fundamental human right to citizens.”

 Stressing the fact that "Health is a human right," she further informed that the campaign will also engage with big businesses globally, challenging the increasing trend of commodification of health.

DENOSA 1st Deputy President, Modise Letsatsi, who presented the objectives of the campaign in the region, saying health workers must be at the forefront of campaigning for good health outcomes said that "spending on health is not an expenditure; it is an investment", as "Universal Health Coverage is impossible without health workers".

 "Before we engage in health activities as health workers, we must embark on baseline screening as professionals so that it is not disputed later that we got infected in the workplace", he added.

"As member countries it is our responsibilities to embark on campaigns on gender parity. This is a sub-regional launch; we expect member countries to go and launch the same campaign in their countries, taking into consideration the peculiarities and key challenges faced in realising the right to health. As brother Modise who is also a member of the PSI Global Health and Social Care Task Force, said: `We need to infuse our own specific issues in the countries so that the campaign finds resonance among communities in our different nations`."