Campaign 7 April 2020: "Our Health is not for sale!"

The struggle for health in Europe
Zagreb, 10 November 2019

We, health activists from the People’s Health Movement (PHM) in Europe and the European Network against the Commercialization and the Privatization of Health and Social Protection, met in Zagreb on November 8-10 to renew our engagement in a joint struggle to protect health as a fundamental human right.

Representing people’s struggles in Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, The Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, Ireland, Slovakia and the UK, we shared what we experience in our countries when health is treated as a commodity, sold on the market rather than granted through health systems that are publicly financed and based on solidarity. We also talked about how the deterioration of the social and environmental conditions in which we live affects our health and wellbeing.

It is increasingly hard for people to receive the care they need when they need it, and when private health insurances step in the situation inevitably worsens. People cannot afford to pay the fees and the copayments that continue to increase. As public healthcare systems are being dismantled, access to health care is decreasing: local services are being shut down, the health personnel who retires is not replaced, waiting lists become unacceptable.

Moreover, in many countries population groups like migrants and refugees are excluded from health systems based on their legal status. Even when they are formally granted access to health care, migrants and refugees face bureaucratic and financial obstacles in achieving their right to health.

We reaffirm our commitment to health for all, and have identified six axes for our struggle: adequate funding for public and non commercial health services; protection against marketization and commercial abuses in health care; universal access to healthcare; people’s participation and health democracy; social determinants of health; a medicine policy at the service of the population.

We are ready to strengthen our joint work and build the mobilization towards 7th April 2020 – People’s Health Day and day of action against the commercialization of health, together with all those who struggle for a better, more just and healthier world.

You want to join or organize an activity? Contact the European Network!