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Struggles for Health: An Emancipatory Approach in the Era of Neoliberal Globalization

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Abstract

Capitalism is experiencing a prolonged crisis and is forcing structural changes in the global economic system to perpetuate its hegemony. Increasing financialization of the global economy is producing ever increasing concentration of wealth and inequity. These changes are devastating livelihoods of people across continents with many consequences on people’s health. This article analyzes the global governance for health, the social determination of health and, finally, its commodification. It highlights the need of a global mobilization of civil society to build a transnational movement able to defend health in all its aspects.

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Notes

  1. These figures may differ significantly from one country to another. They enable us, however, to get an idea of the size of the health sector and consequently a measure of its strategic relevance. It should be noted that there are large inequalities in health between countries and within countries.

  2. While quality and accessibility to a care system are essential, the latter contributes only a quarter to health. Social aspects (income, education, food, housing) and environmental factors determine the other three quarters.

  3. These trends are more marked in hospitals given the size of these institutions, the diversity of health professions, the specialism of practices and the sizeable financing needed to access expensive medical and pharmaceutical technologies.

  4. For more details on process and forms of privatisation, see: https://healthcampaignstogether.com/pdf/Kondilis%20(2016%20Brussels)%20Healthcare%20privatization.pdf. We also invite you to complete the privatisations database at http://www.health-is-not-for-sale.org/?lang=en.

  5. For a discussion on the strategy of ‘shock’, refer to Klein (2007).

  6. It has been noted that nowadays, even in the most ‘advanced’ health systems a considerable number of people postpone or abandon treatment. At least 400 millions people in the world do not have access to one or several essential health services. Each year, 100 million people are thrown into poverty and 150 million people are in financial difficulties due to personal expenses incurred while accessing health care.

  7. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/nancy-fraser-interview-capitalism-crisis-of-care.

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Acknowledgements

This text is a summary of a booklet downloadable on the following link: http://www.rosalux.eu/publications/the-struggle-for-health. Special thanks to Federico Tomasone and Mareike Post from the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung without whom this publication would have been impossible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. People’s Health Movement, New Delhi, India

    Amit Sengupta

  2. Viva Salud, Brussels, Belgium

    Chiara Bodini

  3. Centre for International and Intercultural Health, Bologna, Italy

    Chiara Bodini

  4. Alter Summit; Gresea, Brussels, Belgium

    Sebastian Franco

Authors
  1. Amit Sengupta
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  2. Chiara Bodini
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  3. Sebastian Franco
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Correspondence to Sebastian Franco.

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Sengupta, A., Bodini, C. & Franco, S. Struggles for Health: An Emancipatory Approach in the Era of Neoliberal Globalization. Development 61, 101–107 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41301-018-0196-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41301-018-0196-z

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