Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Over 1,200 people from 77 different countries attended the 2nd Meeting of Peoples to Defend Health 17 to 23 July in Cuenca, in Ecuador, which demanded “health for all” to discuss alternative measures to make healthcare accessible to all.
Activities include the first Global Health Watch Report (GHW), the alternative report on world health, and a Global Children’s Forum which involved 500 children and aims to inform children on environment protection. The meeting discussed and defended the sovereignty of every regional food, promoting care, distribution and protection of water resources increasing awareness with regard to environment pollution and ecouarging solidarity and love.
The Forum involved a series of activities based on games and art. On the Monday teachers, children and other participants spoke about the condition of the world: air should be pure, but cities are full of smog, water is essential for life but millions of people have no access to it. The children also discussed cimate change and the need to protect forests. On Tuesday the debite focused on the millions of people living in dire poverty, without a home and on child labour and the effects of migration and war on children. On Wednesday attention focused on food security as an essential element for healthy life, and the threat of food produced with preservatives and toxic agro-chemical compounds and transgenic products.
The 1st Meeting of Peoples to Defend Health held last year in Bangladesh was a success: it brought together delegates from over 70 countries and established an international network for health in the world. (AP) (28/7/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:28; Parole:341)
