Community Health Cell (CHC) and People’s Health Movement, Karnataka (Jana Arogya Andolana, JAAK), with the support of several people’s organisations are working towards promoting pro-people policies on health by constantly engaging with governments both at the centre and state. During the general elections in India in April 2009, an effort was made to campaign for the National Health Act. CHC, the secretariat for JAAK has been facilitating the campaign for the Right to Primary Health Care in Karnataka. This effort is part of the ongoing process to bring people’s voices to the forefront towards advocating for the right to primary health care and to advocate for right to health as the fundamental right. The following is a detailed report of these efforts supported by Community Health Cell for building up and strengthening the JAAK in the last couple of months (August and September 2009).

For full report, please CLIC HERE

CHC started its intervention five years back in Tamilnadu  as a disaster response to the Tsunami affected communities in January 2005. Rajendran (the then team member) and Ameer Khan took initiatives in two districts - Chennai and Thiruvallur. The CHC team then focused on capacity building of communities, networking with local organisations and organising youth at Palvarkadu, a back water island in the district of Thiruvallur. From the year 2007-09, a larger mobilisation of people's organisations in Tamilnadu under the banner of Makkal Nalavazhvu Iyakkam (People's Health Movement - Tamilnadu) was the focus.  In this context, CHC team enlarged their presence to the state level taking initiatives in facilitating people's response to the closure of the vaccine centres, the anti-people vaccination policy of the government, issues related to occupational  and environmental health, etc. Involvement with the Enviornment and Occupational health issues linked the CHC team to the groups and organisations working for the rights of  those affected by industrial effluents and other occupational health issues.During this phase intense involvement in the Community Monitoring Programme in five districts linked the CHC team to the ground realities of health system in the rural areas. Having almost completed five years, now the CHC team in Tamilnadu is set to play the role of state level resource centre for the advocacy of health rights and to continue the role of facilitation for People's Health Movement in Tamilnadu.  

Please CLICK HERE for some more details on  activities  CHC team in Tamilnadu.

The Centre for Public Health and Equity (CPHE) is a functional unit of the Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action (SOCHARA). CPHE was formally inaugurated in December 2008 during the Silver Jubilee year of Community Health Cell (CHC), the original functional unit of SOCHARA. It works predominantly in the areas of public health education and policy advocacy. It promotes a new public health paradigm focused on health equity; social justice; underlying social determinants of health including gender; inclusive and responsive health systems; and health policy development.

CPHE is proud to announce its new online presence. Visit us at cphe.sochara.org

'The Bamako 2008 Global Ministerial Forum (www.bamako2008.org) provided widespread acceptance to the shift in paradigm from health research which is dominated by medical and epidemiological research to research for health, development and equity. This shift has been in the making from the Alma Ata Conference in 1978 but more specifically in research circles from a meeting in 1990. The shift implies more inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research and a transformation in the research architecture dominated by medical research councils. While recognising the important contributions of advances in medicine, epidemiology and science, a more inclusive approach is advocated with contributions from different knowledge systems. However equally importantly there is a need for greater involvement of civil society in the entire research process.
 
Prior to the Bamako Forum from 17th-19th November 2008 a series of preparatory meetings took place at which the role of civil society in research was raised. COHRED then took this further and with DBL, Denmark and CIAM, the Gambia organised a workshop in Copenhagen in October 2008. The Call for Action emerged at this workshop. A well attended session on this theme was held at the Bamako Forum and printed copies were made available. The Call for Action was also presented to a full house of 1100 participants during the final plenary. 

Dr.Thelma Narayan, Public Health Consultant of CHC and the new co-ordinator for the Centre for Public Health and Equity (CPHE)of SOCHARA Bangalore was an active participant and resource person of these initiatives. CPHE is keen to take this call for action forward.  We recognise that research for health is an integral part of health systems and research is essential to track progress in the achievement of health equity goals. It also provides valuable understanding about pathways through which inequalities in access to health determinants operate and how they may be redressed. Participation of communities and of civil society organisations in research for health, development and equity is essential. We look forward to an active, creative and inclusive response to the call for Action.

For more details.... Download here

1984-2009

NOTE ON THE MODE OF COMMEMORATING THE 25^TH YEAR

This note shares some of the ideas and plans that were proposed by CHC and SOCHARA (society governing CHC) for meaningfully commemorating the 25^th year of CHC.  We had a very comprehensive, nostalgic and enthusiastic jubilee commemoration on the 6th of December, 2008. See Silver jubilee section for reports on the event and publications released on that day.