Newsletter 161
Contents
Action of the week
IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY AIDS
E-mail your MPs (find them here) and get them to sign this EDM (What is an EDM?).
The Parliamentary session will end next week and it is important that we encourage as many MPs as possible to sign it before then. When you contact your MP please refer to the EDM number (2171) and don't forget to mention your own address - that will ensure that the MP knows that s/he is accountable to you. Format for contacting your MP is surname_initial@parliament.uk.
EDM:
That this House welcomes the Government's consultation process for its new strategy to tackle HIV and AIDS across the world; notes with concern the 15 million children orphaned by AIDS worldwide; calls on the Government in its new HIV and AIDS strategy (2008-2011) to continue to earmark at least 10 per cent. of all its HIV and AIDS funding for children affected by AIDS, support national governments in delivering comprehensive and integrated services to prevent mother to child transmission, place strong emphasis on the development of infant diagnostics adaptable to resource limited settings, ensure all children have full access to antiretroviral therapy and treatment for opportunistic infections by including children both in national treatment targets and when monitoring progress towards universal access and take specific steps to strengthen government departments responsible for the social welfare of children, as well as providing long-term funding and support to civil society organisations working with children affected by AIDS.
National News and Events
- Save Our NHS News
- E-vote Alert!
- National Conference 2008 Applications
- Defend Access to Healthcare for Vulnerable Migrants
- UAEM Talks
- Control BAE Speaker Tour
- Sexball
- STAR Conference
- Pharmageddon
- Medsin joins the National AIDS Trust's Campaign on Access to ARVs for Vulnerable Migrants
Anything Else
- Wanted: Partners in Health Volunteers on Arcade Fire European Tour.
- Climate Change and Health conference series
- Wealth, Health and Happiness
- 3rd Alma Mata Conference
- Child Health
Of the Month
Website and News
The website is for YOUR events being held by YOUR branches, projects and campaigns. It is really, really easy to submit events and news, so please do, and let everyone know what wonderful things you are up to! Join in Medsin discussions at http://www.medsin.org/discuss
National News and Events
Save Our NHS News
On Saturday Medsin joined thousands of demonstrators in London in support of a public NHS.
Thousands of Students, pensioners, trade unionists, socialists and health activists from around the country marched across London and descended on Trafalgar Square this Saturday. Some groups demanded better care for the elderly, others for decent pay and conditions for health workers and still others were campaigning for an end to the back-door privatisation. Despite the variety of demands they had the same core principles at heart. The demo was really a unanimous call for universal high quality public health care, regardless of age, gender, location or ability to pay. Medsin members proudly (and loudly!) joined in with slogans such as “public health not private wealth!”.
This is just the start of Medsin’s involvement. At the march Ken Livingstone called the NHS the best invention of his life time. Lets not be the generation that sits idly by as one of the fairest and most efficient health systems ever developed is torn apart. There’s lots to do! So if you want to be more involved in this campaign, then email Pete
E-vote Alert!
Look out for an E-vote coming your way this week about Climate change and the Climate and Health Council Declaration. The deadline will be 15th November, and the background information, declaration etc is available here
National Conference 2008 Applications
The new deadline for applications to be sent to the National Committee is 18th November.
Application forms are available here
Applications should include:
- theme
- location
- budget
- team
- travel plan
Defend Access to Healthcare for Vulnerable Migrants
This weekend student's at Medsin's Annual National Conference opposed restrictions on access to primary healthcare for vulnerable migrants.
There was widespread concern among delegates about the ongoing government review of access to NHS services, due to report in December. It is expected to propose removing access to primary care services from undocumented migrants, victims of trafficking and failed asylum seekers.
Hundreds of delegates signed a statement to the Department of Health, directly opposing these changes and demanding universal access to primary healthcare, free at the point of access in line with NHS founding principles. Furthermore, this contradicts the UK's obligations to uphold health as a human right.
The government have suggested we deliberately run people's health down until they are forced from the country. Meanwhile, the GMC Duties of a Doctor state that doctors should make the care of the patient their first concern. They cannot be expected to act as immigration officers. The NHS benefits from thousands of doctors and nurses from overseas. The government have admitted health tourism occurs at very low levels and primary care is relatively cheap. Failing to manage disease in primary care will mean the NHS treats more preventable disease in A&E at much greater expense. Members asked the government to look at the evidence and reconsider.
See the Defend Primary Healthcare webpagefor more information and see the GHAP page for photos of the actions.
There's loads you can do to help take this campaign further - please get in touch with Tom and join the mailing list on this issue.
UEAM Talks
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines has a two-fold mission:
- To determine how universities can help ensure that biomedical end products, such as drugs, are made more accessible in poor countries and
- To increase the amount of research conducted on neglected diseases, or those diseases predominantly affecting people who are too poor to constitute a market attractive to private-sector R&D investment.
We are delighted to announce that on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th November Ethan Guillen, Executive Director of UAEM, will be visiting the UK to talk about the work and success of UAEM in America, and how to start a UAEM chapter at your university.
Monday 19th November -
Where: University of Edinburgh, LT1 Appleton Tower, Main Campus.
When: 7pm.
Tuesday 20th November - Where: London (venue tbc). When: tbc.
For more information please visit us here or contact Vanessa.
Control BAE Speaker Tour
- Wed 7th Nov - Cardiff
- Thurs 8th Nov - Chichester
- Tues 13th Nov - Hull
- Wed 14th Nov - Sheffield
- Thurs 15th Nov - Manchester
- Wed 28th Nov - Edinburgh
- Thurs 29th Nov - Newcastle
The talks are organized by the Campaign against the Arms Trade" as part of their "Control BAE" campaign. This campaign is looking to expose some of the business dealings of this arms company and keep up the pressure on the Government to reopen the Serious Fraud Office enquiry into the massive Al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
The talks will look at the impact of the arms trade and corruption on development and human rights.
Details of times and venues can be found here
If you are interested in getting involved in Medsin's Arms Trade campaign please let us know. Our address in armstrade@medsin.org
Nick and Jen Arms Trade Co-Ordinators
SEXBALL - 24th November, Birmingham
Sexpression will be hosting an afternoon of great speakers on sexual and maternal health globally at Birmingham Medical School. We have speakers lined up to talk on everything from Female Genital Mutilation to HIV/AIDS.
This interesting afternoon will be followed by a evening of Sexpression fun! The evening starts with a champagne reception followed by 3 course dinner and disco. Dress code is black tie with a splash of red with World AIDS Day collections throughout the night.
Tickets are £35 for all of this. For more information or to buy your tickets contact Emily.
STAR conference
The 10th national conference hosted by Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is taking place 10th-11th November 2007 at the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch, Central London.
The only conference for students and young people on refugee issues, this year's line up features an impressive array of contributors from notable organisations such as the Refugee Council, UNHCR, Amnesty and the Medical Foundation. In addition, there will be speakers ranging from MPs and journalists to writers and refugees with personal experiences to share, as well as workshops, a Question Time panel and a lively party with live music and DJs to celebrate the fact that this is our tenth conference.
STAR Conference is open to anyone aged 16-25. It costs just £25, which includes the full weekend Conference programme, all food, crashpad accommodation on Saturday night and free admission to the legendary STAR party. We have a limited number of bursaries for those who can't afford the Conference fee, and anyone with a refugee experience is welcome for free.
To take part in Conference or for more information, visit our website, email us or call 020 7840 4443.
Pharmageddon
Health Action International are running a project called Pharmaggedon at the moment. There's 8x £1000 (maybe about to rise to £5000 for 1st!) prizes available for submitting an abstract of 350 words on the concept of Pharmageddon:
"Pharmageddon? Is a hypothesis. Pharmageddon? describes "the prospect of a world in which medicines and medicine produce more ill-health than health, and when medical progress does more harm than good".
Click here for more information.
Medsin joins the National AIDS Trust's Campaign on Access to ARVs for Vulnerable Migrants
Medsin have signed to become part of the National AIDS Trust's campaign on access to treatment for vulnerable migrants. This was in relation to GHAP's campaign on Defending Primary Healthcare for vulnerable migrants. For more information and to join the campaign, click here
Anything Else?
The following aren't officially affilliated with Medsin, but we thought you might be interested.
Urgent request for Partners in Health Volunteers on Arcade Fire European Tour.
Arcade Fire are supporting the work of Partners in Health (PIH) throughout their European tour. They are looking for volunteers to help raise awareness of Partners in Health at all their European Gigs. You get Free entry to the gig of you volunteer. Please email chamann@pih.org With "Arcade Fire and (city name)" if you could help out at any of the following shows.
Volunteering entails: showing up before doors open, collecting donations for PIH, passing out Arcade Fire/PIH posters, and spreading awareness about the work of Partners In Health and our connection with Arcade Fire. Each volunteer gets FREE entry to the show.
Tour Cities and Dates: November:
- 17th London, England - Alexandra Palace
- 18th London, England - Alexandra Palace
- 19th London, England - Alexandra Palace
Conference Series: Climate Change and Health at the Royal Society of Medicine, London
There is now overwhelming evidence that global warming is rapidly progressing, and major climate changes are already being experienced in many parts of the world. This series of evening meetings at the Royal Society of Medicine aims to examine and forecast the effects on human health, with the intention of increasing awareness of the serious threat to our planet.
The series includes the following meetings:
- Monday 12 November 2007 - Global warming and food production: will we starve?
- Monday 26 November 2007 - Action for the health consequences of climate change
All meetings are from 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm Special block booking rates are available for attending all 4 meetings
For more information and to register online please visit http://www.rsm.ac.uk/diar/diary.php or contact Sinem Gocmen Tel: 020 7290 3856 fax: 020 7290 2989 mail:sinem.gocmen@rsm.ac.uk.
Wealth, Health and Happiness
A Public Event, Everyone Welcome, Admission £5 (on the day) at Friends House, 173 Euston Road NW1 2BJ
On Saturday, 10th November 2007 (2-5pm including refreshments) with Richard Laylard, author, Happiness - Lessons from a new Science and Richard Wilkinson, author, The Impact of Inequality)
3rd Alma Mata Conference
Global Health Directions 3: Commercialisation and Health
Alma Mata Global Health Conference and International Health Careers Fair
Saturday 24th & 25th November 2007 UCL Institute of Child Health, London
Tickets are now available online for the third Alma Mata conference and International Health Careers Fair!
Interested in a career in global health? Join us for a weekend of world class speakers and workshops discussing major global health issues, followed by our first International Health Careers Fair. Please visit the conference website or see the medsin site for more details.
CHILD FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL (www.cfhi.org)
Socially responsible, financially just, global health programs for Medical & other students of the health sciences in Bolivia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Nicaragua and South Africa.
- Choose from 17 program sites around the world.
- Programs are 4 to 8 weeks long & run every month of the year.
- Clinical rotations with local preceptors in a variety of settings
- Housing with local home-stay families (guest houses where home-stays are not available)
- Spanish language instruction (including Medical Spanish) in all Spanish-speaking programs
- Fundraising resources (including scholarships) available
- Academic credit arranged upon request
Of the Month
Campaign Focus: Stop AIDS
The first half of 2007 was a great time for the Stop AIDS Campaign. To keep it brief, the two main things that happened were:
- At the training day in Birmingham back in February, we set up a nationwide steering committee made up of regional representatives, so that local groups could contribute more easily to the national campaign.
- On March 20th, almost 100 students descended on Parliament (red t-shirts, infamous pill costumes and all) to lobby their MPs and the Secretary of State on the issue of access to treatment, specifically for Thailand who were trying (against much opposition from big pharma and elsewhere) to provide their citizens with more affordable treatment. The lobbying event was a huge success since the UK government subsequently spoke out in support of the Thai government, ultimately leading to the provision of medicines for 8000 more people in the country.
More recently, October saw the hugely successful ‘Unite to Fight AIDS’ Speaker Tour visiting 18 different universities in the UK. About 1500 students attended local events to listen to inspirational and moving talks on HIV/AIDS and activism from Ntenje Katota (19, Zambian), Shahada Kinyaga (24, Tanzanian), Will Horwitz (22, British), and Katy Athersuch (24, British). We also took the tour to Parliament, where we were welcomed by the All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS. Here, the speakers were told by one MP (who had been working on HIV/AIDS for 20 years) that it was ‘the best presentation on AIDS’ he had ever seen. Unfortunately, despite the positive feedback only 3 MPs were present, and the Department for International Development (DFID) did not send a single representative. This signaled a worrying change in attitude from Brown’s new team, and presents a great challenge to campaigners for the coming year, especially in terms of lobbying MPs.
World AIDS Day, the biggest event on the Stop AIDS calendar, is coming up on December 1st. As always, it should be a fantastic day for raising awareness, having loads of fun, and getting our message across. If you’re stuck, we will soon be sending out packs with info and films etc that you can use if you want. In the meantime, please bear the following things in mind while planning your WAD events:
- Stay informed: the briefing pack is a great resource to use, available at www.medsin.org/campaigns/stopaids.
- Book your MP to come to your event, or go to their surgery so you can tell them what they can do to change things.
- Collaborate as much as possible with as many different groups and societies at your university.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, don’t stop there! Use WAD as a platform for activities and campaigning throughout the rest of the year.
Medsin has already had a big influence on the Stop AIDS Campaign this year, for example by ensuring that demands for health systems (as well as for financing and drug pricing) are prominent at all levels of the campaign. Over the next year, the government are putting together their new 3-year plan for AIDS. There’s so much more to do. Let’s make sure we influence them too!
For more information, contact me at Stopaids@medsin.org. You can sign up to the monthly newsletter by emailing katy.athersuch@spw.org, and check out our website at http://www.stopaidssocieties.org.uk/.
Take care, and have a happy November!
Rafi
(National Coordinator)
Last updated on Monday 12 November 2007 at 18:49.
