PHR Student Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Hub

In Malawi, it’s no surprise that the families of rural farmers and residents of Lilongwe’s slums have such limited access to health care. The country has only one doctor for every 50,000 people. For a range of economic, political, social and historical reasons — including AIDS and brain drain to NGOs, the private sector and wealthier countries — Malawi has only 260 doctors to care for a population of 13 million.

However, Malawi is making progress. In 1992, it opened the College of Medicine at the University of Malawi in Blantyre, and 168 doctors graduated in the first ten years. There was a 137% increase in doctors between 2004 and 2009. Malawi is also training more nurses than ever before.

Despite this success, Malawi still faces significant challenges. It must retain these doctors and nurses while persuading them to work in isolated, underfunded and overcrowded clinics and paying them less than they would make in other English-speaking countries. According to the WHO, 57 countries have critical shortages of doctors, nurses and midwives. How can you help? Support the Global HEALTH Act.

The Global HEALTH Act will guide and fund the development of a stronger workforce in countries like Malawi. Countries will develop plans for their health systems to build up their human resources for health. A stronger workforce means greater access to care, which is essential to realizing health as a human right. You may not have chosen the Global HEALTH Act for your Global Health Week of Action, but you can still sign the petition to ask your Representative to cosponsor the bill.

Want to take it a step further? Ask your Dean to join other prominent health professionals in signing the letter that PHR will send to your Representative — Members of Congress are busy people, but they respond to experts. Present the sign-on letter (pdf) to your Dean or interested faculty member, either directly or via email. You can use this email template (doc) and include this fact sheet (pdf) if you’d like. IMPORTANT: email me at hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org to let me know when your Dean grants permission to use her or his name.

Your efforts on this important Act can have a big impact both in Congress and to the people of Malawi.

The Global Health Act (House Resolution 4933) has been introduced in Congress by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA). Now is the best time to garner support from our Representatives. Why not start by scheduling an in-district meeting for your Global Health Week of Action?

Meeting with government officials is easier than you think!

Contacting government officials lets you take an active role in influencing public policy. Meetings with constituents give policymakers the opportunity to learn about issues and make informed policy decisions. As a health professional student, you have a powerful voice to promote and protect human rights.

Things to Consider When Scheduling a Meeting

• Timing: Start calling the office a few weeks ahead of time, because it may take several calls or faxes to schedule an appointment. Ask for the scheduler’s name and the name of the appropriate aide. Find the contact information for your Representatives, then fax or email the meeting request. You can use our sample Meeting Request letter (.doc) as a starting point. It’s likely that you’ll meet with an aide, rather than the congressperson; your meeting will still have an impact on the policymaker.
• Participation: Two to four people is ideal. Include people who are from the legislator’s district or state who have some level of expertise on the issue, and people who are articulate, respectful, and confident.
• Preparation: Know your facts. Read the bill before you meet with your representative! Be able to explain, succinctly, why this issue is important to you. Practice and know who will say what. If you don’t know the answer to a question that arises, don’t worry: tell the staffer you will get back to then—a great way to ensure follow up and continued conversation after the meeting. Use the Global HEALTH Act fact sheet (pdf) to develop your talking points. Know as much as possible about the member’s background in general (especially which committees she or he sits on) and on your issue.

Tips for the Meeting – Remember the 4 Cs!

• Connection: Recognize past support of this issue or others. Chat about personal connections or relevant news. Be polite, respectful, and formal when addressing the member of Congress.
• Context: Give background info on the issue, why it’s so important, your connection to it (perhaps most important), and the Representative’s connection to it.
• Commitment: Do not be afraid to ask for what you want: “Can we count on your support for the 2010 Global Health Act?” If you don’t ask, you don’t know for sure their position.
• Catapult: End on a friendly note. Thank the member or aide. Get the card of the appropriate aide. Discuss the next steps for follow-up.

After you have met with your congressperson please complete the Meeting Report form (.doc) so PHR can follow up and leverage your work. These meetings can make a big difference. Email us at bcastro[at]phrusa[dot]org and set up an appointment today!

For the past six years, PHR Chapters across the US have led the annual Global Health Week of Action (GHWA) at their schools. Your GHWA can be part of a larger push for Health and Human Rights Education (HHRE) at your school, or it can be a short period of intense advocacy around a global health issue. Either way, you are educating others and encouraging them to act.

What are you doing for GHWA on your campus? We’ve got a couple ideas to get you started:

2010 Global HEALTH Act

A great option is promoting the passage of the 2010 Global HEALTH Act. Representative Barbara Lee will introduce the bill in the House of Representatives soon. As Helen Potts wrote in a recent post,

The bill’s consistent focus on equity, non-discrimination, participation and accountability indirectly promotes the incorporation of a human rights approach to health into the Strategy… It is essential that it obtain a large number of co-sponsors to demonstrate significant support for this legislation, which will help move this bill towards final passage. This is not only for the benefit of the populations in the countries receiving direct assistance but also for the benefit of the US. This bill has the potential to do more for the credibility of the US in the arena of human rights and global health than anything that has gone before.

During GHWA, set up a meeting with your Representatives to encourage them to sponsor the bill! If you’re not sure how, email Barbara at bcastro[at]phrusa[dot]org and she will help you arrange and prepare for a meeting. It’s a worthwhile experience. I’m planning to meet with Representative Michael Capuano in April, and you’re invited to join me.

Also, on April 7—World Health Day—please be ready to email your Representatives and encourage them to sponsor the bill!

Humanitarian needs of women and girls in Darfur

Another option for those who want to focus on the impact of conflict on health or ending gender-based violence, PHR recently released Joe Read’s Action Agenda for Realizing Treatment and Support for Women and Girls in Darfur. Since 2004, PHR has documented the systematic human rights abuses in Darfur, including displacement and killing. In March 2009, the Government of Sudan expelled 13 international NGOs who had provided lifesaving humanitarian assistance. A year later, the needs of women and girls are as urgent as ever. The Action Agenda has recommendations for addressing critical needs in Coordination, Humanitarian Access, and Programming.

The main action for a week focused on Darfur is to call the US Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, at 202-647-4000. You could create a call-in table: invite people to sit down, call General Gration, and urge him to increase funding for programs that protect and promote women’s rights and support survivors of sexual violence. You could also have a reading group on your campus meet to discuss the Action Agenda, or work with another student group to host a panel discussion or photo exhibit.

The GHWA Toolkit

Whatever topic you choose for your campus’ GHWA, you’ll find tips and resources in the new GHWA Toolkit.

Please take photos during your Week of Action to share with PHR and inspire other Chapters!

We’re about 3 weeks away from the 2010 Global Health Week of Action (GHWA). To help you plan a great week, PHR has posted some resources about the health workforce crisis, including a video spotlight of four Kenyan health workers and details about the Global HEALTH Act, which would provide $2 billion dollars for developing countries in Africa to build their health workforce capacity..

Still not sure what to do for your chapter’s Week of Action? Consider setting up an in-district meeting with your Congressperson’s local office to advocate for the Global HEALTH Act or any other key health and human rights issue your chapter is passionate about. That is what I am doing. In April, I will meet with staff from Congressman Michael Capuano’s office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to talk about the health workforce crisis in Africa, and to encourage him to co-sponsor the Global HEALTH Act. If you are in Boston, join me for the meeting! Email me at hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org and we can go together.

No matter where you live, holding a meeting with your Represenative’s office is easy, fun, empowering, and effective. PHR can help. Email Barbara at bcastro[at]phrusa[dot]org and she will help you set up a meeting and provide talking points so you will feel confident going in and have the tools to come away from the meeting with a new Global HEALTH Act co-sponsor.

Want to do something different during GHWA? Check out the GHWA Toolkit for more ideas and resources to help you plan.

Every year, PHR’s National Student Program works with chapters across the country to organize and lead a Global Health Week of Action (GHWA). The GHWA is an opportunity to educate your campus about global health and encourage your colleagues to act on their new knowledge to make a difference.

Check out the new GHWA Toolkit for more information.

This year we’re encouraging chapters to focus their GHWA on the global health workforce crisis and the 2010 Global HEALTH Act, which will be introduced soon in the House of Representatives. You can raise awareness about the need for more health workers and better health systems in developing countries, and then take steps to address that need.

The first step: set your Global Health Week of Action date. Because April 7, 2010, is World Health Day, April 4-10 is the official week of action date. If you need to move the date because of spring break or campus calendars, go for it – just try to stay within 2-3 weeks of this date.

Please refer to the GHWA Toolkit to find resources for planning a successful week of events! The Toolkit includes an Issue and Action Guide, ideas for great events, suggestions on how to fundraise and publicize, and resources to share with your community.

We hope these resources – along with your creativity, energy, and education and advocacy skills – will help ensure that your GHWA has real impact.

Want more support? That’s what we’re here for. Email Hope O’Brien anytime at hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org.