Health Poverty Action

Health Poverty Action

An INGO with around 500 staff worldwide and a small head office in the UK. Prioritising the poorest and most marginalised populalations, our integrated and multi-disciplinary approach emphasises the interconnectedness between health and poverty.

Mission statement

Health Poverty Action has been working to strengthen poor and marginalised people in their struggle for health for over 30 years.

We draw strength from the knowledge we are not alone, but part of a global movement for health justice – the People’s Health Movement (PHM).

The PHM is today’s embodiment of the primary health care movement that achieved ground-breaking success at the UN Alma-Ata Conference in 1978 - championing a justice-oriented approach to healthcare often referred to as the "Primary Health Care Approach" or "Alma-Ata Principles".

We believe: 

“Health is a social, economic and political issue and above all a fundamental human right.  Inequality, poverty, exploitation, violence and injustice are at the root of ill-health and the deaths of poor and marginalised people.  Health for all means that powerful vested interests have to be challenged, and that political and that economic priorities have to be drastically changed.  [We encourage and support] people to develop their own solutions, and to hold accountable local authorities, national governments, international organisations and corporations.”

Summary of relevant work

Programmes in Africa, Asia and Central America, prioritising the poorest and most marginalised populations. 

Policy & Campaigns at local, national and global levels.

Details

Approach(es)
Advocacy
Detection and diagnosis
Empowerment and service user involvement
Human rights
Policy and legislation
Prevention and promotion
Training, education and capacity building
Treatment, care and rehabilitation
Disorder(s)
All mental health conditions
Region(s)
Africa
Asia
Central America and the Caribbean
Europe
Population(s)
Adults
Children and adolescents
Communicable diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB)
Disability
Families and carers
Humanitarian and conflict health
Maternal and neonatal health
Minority populations
Non-communicable diseases (e.g. cancer, diabetes, stroke)
Older adults
Setting(s)
Community
Primary care
School
Country(s)
Cambodia
China
Ethiopia
Guatemala
India
Kenya
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Malawi
Myanmar
Namibia
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Viet Nam
Zimbabwe