To mark Human Rights Day 2011, three special 'MeetUp SpeakUp' sessions will be held on the Right to Health (R2H) on 10 December via twitter. While the UN's Human Rights Day is a day to celebrate Human Rights in general, these chats will focus on issues related to health.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and wellbeing of himself and his family..." Signed, sealed but not yet delivered. Although the Right to Health has been 'signed-on' to by all Governments, it is far from being realised in most countries. Clearly, health advocates and activists should join together to advance efforts to raise awareness of the R2H, and towards this, come together to share ideas and experiences.

Don't Moan, Organize! Don't Groan, Mobilize!
Harder times for those who already have tough times are arriving. Poor people living with diseases such as Cancer, HIV, Diabetes, CVD, COPD, Hepatitis or TB are now feeling the effects of cruel cut backs in global funding, and decreasing solidarity. Our suffering grows, and families and caregivers are being burdened more every day. Austerity has driven dark clouds over the landscape with governments around the world abandoning their earlier commitments to increase affordable access to care for hundreds of millions in need. Health services are being cut-back, essential medicines stocked-out and our hopes for survival beat down. The human right to health is under attack from powerful people who do not worry about affording anything. Unaccountable and top-down health systems, infected by corruption and vested interests, are not going to lead on finding solutions. It's no surprise that this state of global health is depressing and demoralizing people living with life threatening diseases and advocates everywhere. It's making us sick!

From the Bronx to Brazzaville, Durban to Delhi, it's now critical to mobilize to fight for the rights that all the UN Member States (Our Governments!) have agreed to fulfill. "How can we help this to happen?" That's one of the key questions that we want and need your views on. Come to #MeetUpMondays on twitter and SMS — Share-Up Speak-Up! It's time to Rise-Up for our collective health. Don't Moan, Organize! Don't Groan, Mobilize!

The march towards an equitable system of global health has come to an intersection which calls us to stop and think collectively about which way forward is the best route to take. On one side we see yellow and red lights flashing warnings of funding cut-backs, essential medicine stock-outs, and service scale-downs. Yet on the other side of this crossroads we see that there is alternative path ahead. Mapped by those who see the Right to Health as the right way to go, it now must be widened and reinforced so that millions of people in need of accessible healthcare can move forward as a broad based movement.

This road building requires the hands-on engagement of many of those already involved in the 'global health community'. Patients, caregivers, civil society organizations and health professionals need to look ahead, and build together. Although this sounds good, the current health systems in most countries have created clusters of specific interest groups, which we call 'The Silos'. Divided by disease or funding stream, such as HIV, Cancer, Diabetes or Tobacco control, these groups see the world from their towers, and not from ground level. Down below, those in need of healthcare are sent, often crawling, from one silo or another. Compounding the problem, community activists have become disease specific as well, with their energies limited to what the funders, from their own silos, dictate. Health for all must be more holistic, and include dealing with the social determinants outside the silos, including poverty, education, gender, the environment and other factors that hurt the community.

The march towards equity in health and affordable care will move faster and more effectively if health professionals and advocates begin to see and act beyond their current focus. The silos are out of date structures that have stayed on the health landscape maintained by their vested interests, often out of touch with the interests of the community. At this historic crossroads, we all must think globally, act locally and broadly. It is imperative that the global community comes together to build the route forward towards health equity. Let's occupyhealthcare, not silos.

Every thing you wanted know...in 140 characters or less:
-- What's #SDOHchat? Friendly chat on Social Determinants #SDOH #inequities -Patients caregivers #health & dev. pros & advocates... From Oct.19
-- Why #SDOHchat? World Ministers & experts meeting @ WHO WorldConf. Oct 19-21 in Rio call for civil society participation. So, MeetUp SpeakUp!
-- How to join SDOHchat? By twitter, search hashtag #SDOHchat & follow @SDOHchat. By SMS +41787597991 or +918129094433 . By www.imaxi.org or FB
-- Who is #SDOHchat? Small group of volunteers living with chronic diseases that hope to bridge some divides and mobilize diverse communities.

We only began this initiative two weeks ago, so it's learning while doing the Rio Relay rush.
Background links:
http://www.imaxi.org/content/building-rio-relay-connecting-communities
http://www.imaxi.org/content/we-are-all-stakeholders-sdoh

Another high-level WHO meeting (that will involve very few from the low-level) is happening soon in Brazil - The World Conference on Social Determinants of Health (follow #SDOH). The IMAXI Cooperative is organizing its relay-system that will allow more of "The People", Dr. Margaret Chan's term for the bottom billions, to follow and participate in this important event. Stay tuned for further details...

The recent UN Summit on NCDs marked the beginning of a global movement for the rights of all people with chronic diseases to access to affordable care. That's my view. The Member States don't see it like that. Nothing in their Declaration provides support or even hope to over 200 million people today who are struggling with these diseases. Cutting through the 'spin', the UN Member States are only pushing NCD prevention, while millions can't get essential medicines or even pain relieving drug treatment. The divide between empty words in New York "We must Act!" and realities of suffering in poor communities around the world is enormous.

The gap is the result of many other gaps that have become obvious in recent months. Advocacy on NCDs was mostly the business of a few big North American and European NGOs, with evidence provided by experts from the same regions and cultures. This divide with the rest of the world was a crack in any effort for global advocacy. It runs in parallel to an even greater crack - the divide between people with NCDs in Asia, Africa and Latin America with those who were involved with the UN Summit process. In short, in the build-up to High Level Meeting, patients were essentially voiceless and invisible. With the closure of the UN Summit it's time for an 'all-hands-on' effort to overcome the divides. (read more...)

Every thing you wanted know...in 140 characters or less:
-- What's #NCDchat?
Friendly 'n fresh chat on NonCommunicableDiseases #NCDs. Patients caregivers health pros & advocates warm welcome. Mondays.
-- Why #NCDchat?
World Leaders meet @UN Summit #NCDs soon, but are failing to act in public interest. Together, let's find solutions. Mondays.
-- How to join NCDchat?
Easy. By twitter, search hashtag #NCDchat or by SMS +41787597991 or +918129094433 we'll text u details. All Day Monday.
-- Who is #NCDchat?
Small group of volunteers living w/ chronic diseases that hope to unite & amplify 'community' voices @UN Summit on #NCDs.
See the Draft Political Declaration on NCDs attached below.

Our views on this NCD process and the views of many others, can be found at:
http://www.imaxi.org/content/join-global-ncdchat-starts-29-august
http://www.imaxi.org/content/no-targetsno-accountability-stop-sleaze-ncds
http://www.imaxi.org/content/un-declaration-non-communicable-diseases-ex...
http://www.imaxi.org/content/ncds-hiv-universal-access-treatment-care-an...

The UN is preparing their High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases in September, to be held in New York. A global event for a global epidemic is being organized. Over the last few months the WHO, Governments, and a few big NGOs have been busy drafting a Declaration (behind closed doors) in the aim of promoting the 'prevention and control' of Cancer, Diabetes, Chronic Lung and Heart Disease. Shamefully, people with these life-threatening diseases have had virtually no say on the many issues and no real participation in the process. ...read more...

The year 2011 has two massive mobilisations for the right to health focused on the United Nations. The first was that for HIV/AIDS, which after months of consultations and hearings culminated in June with renewed promises from member states towards reaching Universal Access for PLHIV to treatment, care and prevention. The second, now in progress, is for non communicable diseases (NCD) including cancer, diabetes, chronic lung and heart disease. The aim is to raise awareness and mobiles the world to take action to combat the NCD epidemics, which affect people in bit the developed and developing worlds. ...read more...

The Global Fund has just published this important Information Note on Tuberculosis and Human Rights. It clearly outlines key areas which need the urgent attention of WHO, UNAIDS, UNITAID, Stop TB Partnership, Governments, Civil Society Organizations and TB Patients.
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Introduction
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of poverty and inequality that particularly affects key vulnerable populations1 with little or no access to basic services. Many of the factors that increase vulnerability to TB or reduce access to diagnostic, prevention and treatment services are associated with people's ability to realize their human rights.
Access to TB prevention, treatment, support and care services, as well as to basic necessities such as food, housing and social services, are fundamental human rights embedded in the right to health. A human rights-based approach to TB prevention, treatment and care can help overcome the legal, structural and social barriers to quality TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services.
WHO Stop TB Strategy and Human Rights
An important objective of the WHO Stop TB Strategy2 is to protect and promote human rights in TB prevention and care. Addressing HIV related TB (TB/HIV), multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB and the needs of poor and vulnerable populations1; and empowering communities and people with TB have been identified as core components in the Stop TB Partnerships Global Plan to Stop TB (2011-2015)3.
These components emphasize patients‟ rights and responsibilities and the obligations of programs, policy-makers and donors to foster community participation in TB care, prevention and health promotion. The Patients' Charter for TB Care4 is also referenced in the strategy.
The Global Fund supports the integration of human rights into health programming in order to maximize health outcomes.
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