Civil society prepares ’alternative’ World Health Report

On 20 July 2005 the Global Health Watch 2005/6 will be launched as an alternative to the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual World Health Report.

The Global Health Watch is a new project which seeks to articulate civil society’s vision for global health. It is also a platform to strengthen advocacy and campaigns to promote equitable health for all.

The Global Health Watch is the outcome of an initiative taken by the Peoples Health Movement, the Global Equity Gauge Alliance (GEGA) and Medact at the World Health Assembly 2003.

These organisations saw the need to produce an alternative World Health Report as they felt WHO reports were inadequate, that there existed no report that monitored the performance of global health institutions, and that a more people-centered approach highlighting social justice was needed to challenge the dominant neo-liberal discourse in public health policy.

The Global Health Watch therefore seeks to address all these issues.

There are several ways in which one can get involved in the Global Health Watch, including endorsing the report and launching it in your region. For more information see the Global Health Watch website.