Press Release — October 24, 2014

People’s Movement for Right To Health Launches in 63 Countries

In light of growing health inequality and the current Ebola crisis, thousands are organizing for the first-ever Global Day of Action for the Right to Health and calling on political leaders to commit to strong health systems and health as a human right.

BOSTON, USA — Thousands of people will join more than 160 events across 63 countries to launch a global movement for the right to health on October 25th. The movement aims to raise awareness of global health crises and build a political commitment for the right to health.

“Unfortunately, whether it is dealing with AIDS or Ebola, our political leaders continue to make the same mistakes” said Ankur Asthana, campaign co-founder and an Associate in global health at Harvard Medical School. “Instead of fear-mongering and short-term interventions, we need to address the root cause of these crises and ensure health care is a basic right for all people.”

According to a 2013 study released by a team at University of California Berkeley, as many as 400 million people are estimated to have died from inequities in global health since 1980. This includes millions of deaths from preventable and treatable illnesses such as tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria.

“This is an opportunity for us to come together to take action,” said Manjushree Maharjan, an organizer in Kathmandu, Nepal. “We’re holding a candlelight rally to show that we’re igniting a new people’s movement for the right to health.”

The movement is being called Article 25 in reference to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which defines health as a human right. Other events on the day of action will include:

• A rally on the Boston Commons, featuring Donald Berwick, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Joia Mukherjee, Chief Medical Officer at Partners In Health
• A march and teach-in in Nairobi, Kenya, featuring street performances on Article 25 and the right to health
• A human banner of the words “Article 25" made by medical students in Moldova

The day of action has also been endorsed by top global health leaders including the heads of the Stop TB Partnership and Roll Back Malaria Initiative. “We are pleased to support the first Global Day of Action for the Right to Health,” said Dr Fatoumata Nafo Traorè, Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. “A rights-based approach to health makes the world a better place for all.”

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