Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-10-04-Speech-4-118"
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"en.20011004.3.4-118"2
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".
The report makes a number of good points. However, they pale before the sheer extent of the misery and shame suffered by millions of people throughout the world, especially in undeveloped countries, where they are still living in poverty, deprived of even basic access to health, and dying from infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and so on. It is even more of a disgrace when there is the certain prospect – based on official studies and research – that the situation will get worse.
The acceptance that health is a "global public good", as the report rightly points out, cannot be reconciled with the fact that a large proportion of the world's population is deprived of access to education, housing, employment, food, safe drinking water, conditions of hygiene and health services. More than 5 million people a year die from infectious diseases, mainly in underdeveloped countries, while a handful of multinational pharmaceutical monopolies continue to patent, profit from and speculate with drugs, even going so far as to withdraw drugs which, although they save lives, fall short of profit targets.
It is not right to channel any additional resources for developing research to the private sector in the form of incentives rather than to public research centres. It is insulting and hypocritical to state that the "global public good" of health is being hit particularly hard in underdeveloped countries, while at the same time imposing structural changes on these countries by reducing expenditure on the public service sector, especially the health and education sectors. It is unacceptable to rely on the "charity" of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for action to safeguard this "global good" and to trust in "better cooperation" and "partnership" between the public sector, NGOs and the private sector. Health is a fundamental and inalienable human right, it is the most important factor of social justice and human dignity and it cannot be ruled by market regulations and the laws of profit.
It is of prime and capital importance to use public-sector means to fight disease and secure the right to health. However, a radical approach to the problem involves hitting at the root of poverty, at what sustains and exacerbates it. The report hardly even touches on this sort of solution to the problem, making do with regurgitating constantly repeated "analgesic" announcements and proposals. Overturning the social policy system and policies which apply the established imperialist and monopoly interests which generate and spread poverty and misery, which have no hesitation in crushing and sacrificing entire populations and nations to their cause, is the only solution to the problem."@en1
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"(The sitting was suspended at 1.05 p.m. and was resumed at 3.00 p.m.)"1
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