LATEST DEVELOPMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN DECLARATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

 

January 2011 - Up to now, the European declaration was signed by more than 5 000 signatories from 25 European countries.

 

 

At EU level, 4 European organisations of heath professionals signed the European declaration: the Standing committee of European Doctors (CPME), the European Association of Senior Hospital Physicians (AEMH), the European Federation of Salaried Doctors & the Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors.

 

At national levels, 21 national level medical organisations also signed, such as the Conseil de l'ordre des médecins in France, the Royal Dutch Medical Association in the Netherlands (KNMG), Clare Gerada (Chair-Elect of the Royal College of General Practitioners in the United Kingdom), the Czech medical chamber, Anaao Assomed in Italy, the Association des syndicats médicaux and the Fédération nationale des infirmières belges in Belgium, etc.

 

57 NGOs also signed the European declaration.

EUROPEAN LEVEL

 

The SCED/CPME disseminated widely the call for signature of the European Declaration first signatory at EU level The Standing Committee for European Doctors (SCED, better known as CPME) sent a press release, in which it supports the EU Declaration of health professionals "Towards non-discriminatory access to health care" to all their media and political contacts, and in the first place to their own members, i.e. 27 national medical associations ; they also presented it to the European Health Policy Forum, a core group of civil society organisations working with the DG SANCO. Thanks to their commitment, the promotion of the Declaration hangs through a banner on the health, justice and social Europe webpages of Euractiv.com, a first plan European news site.

 

The World Medical Association (WMA) revised its policy and made a statement on medical care for migrants at their General Assembly (in Vancouver, Canada, from October 13 to 16), following an initiative of the Swedish Medical association (that works closely with the Right to health initiative, the coalition of organisations MdM Sweden is part of and that is advocating for the right to healt for migrants). They stated that « to support and promote the right of all people to receive medical care on the basis of clinical need alone and to speak out against legislation and practices that are in opposition to this fundamental right » and that « that refugees, including asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, as well as internally displaced persons in all regions were among the most vulnerable in society and international codes of human rights and medical ethics declared that all people were entitled without discrimination to appropriate medical care. Physicians could not be compelled to (...) administer any non-medically justified diagnostic treatment ». Full text here.

NATIONAL LEVEL

 

Germany

On the occasion of the international day of human rights on 10th December Doctors of the World Germany launched its campain on the European Declaration. Over 4000 individuals and organisations already signed the petition. First signatories are - among others- Tom Koenigs (Member of the German Parliament), Berlin Bureau for medical help towards refugees (Medibüro Berlin), International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Dr. Monika Hauser (Medica mondiale e.v.), PRO ASYL, Association of Democrat Doctors and Dr. Andreas Wulf (Medico international). The European Declaration is also available on the exhibition "Exil, Exit? - Living without papers in Europa" on the Tollwood-Festival in Munich.

 

Belgium

The European declaration of health professionals was presented in Brussels together with the exhibition "Exil, exit" between the 22 and 31 October. The photo exhibition "Exil, Exit" bears witness on the living conditions, health status, and access to healthcare facing undocumented migrants in Europe - people among the poorest, most excluded and most discriminated against. This exhibition aims to question the visitors on concepts such as exile, wandering, survival.

Netherlands

The European declaration of health professionals was launched in the Netherlands at the beginning of November 2010 together with the opening of the photo exhibition "Exil, Exit".

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