Health

Today, 22 March, World Water Day, PSI's General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli states the importance of tax-funded public water and sanitation for all, but especially for realizing women's rights. In an interview*, Pavanelli talks about the major challenges in achieving this goal.

This groundbreaking conference, organised by PSI with the support of ILO/ACTRAV and ILO/GED, marked the beginning of a new area of collaboration. PSI in partnership with the ILO explored the issue of workers with disabilities with a special focus on the role of the public sector and public services.

Get the latest global news on health and social care services. People over Profit! #PublicHealth4All. Right to Health newsletter Issue 01/2017.

The ILO Tripartite Meeting on Improving Employment and Working Conditions in Health Services will be at the International Labour Office, Geneva, on 24-28 April.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) organised a Public Forum on the Future of Health in January. This was immediately followed by its Health Ministerial meeting on the next generation of health reforms.

There is consensus that health for all is critical for sustainable development. Lack of resources is often presented as the major challenge to achieving this. But the problem is not one of inadequate resources, it is a lack of political will to change the situation.

The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health," was declared a human right, back in 1948, when the World Health Organization was established to help implement it. This principle is reflected in the constitutions of many countries. Significant improvements were made after this declaration, particularly in industrialised countries, but despite several inter-governmental covenants on universal health coverage, we remain very far from ensuring the human right to health for all.

Since the 1990s, neoliberal policies have claimed victims in the public services sector run by the Costa Rican state. The rise of the neoliberal globalization which is expanding with free trade, has involved big businesses aggressive pursuit of new sources of profit. This is the reason behind the waves of privatization of public services like water, education, health and others.