Strategic Lines
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There are many factors that prevent universal and quality health from being accessible to all people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable population. But, perhaps the most significant is the little importance attributed to the social determinants of health (SDH), and the right to health itself is violated due to the lack of knowledge of these determinants. These refer to the set of variables that have the capacity to protect or cause health problems, both at the individual and the collective levels, and this links with the WHO definition of health as a biological, psychological and social well-being.
The World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as "the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.”
According to WHO, the primary health care strategy is a society-wide approach to health and well-being, cantered on the needs and preferences of people, families and communities. It addresses the broader determinants of health and focuses on the complete and interrelated aspects of physical, mental and social health and well-being.
It provides comprehensive care to people, according to their health needs throughout their lives and not just for a set of specific diseases. Primary health care ensures that people receive comprehensive care, from promotion and prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, as close as possible to their daily environment.
According to WHO, therefore, primary health care results from a commitment to justice and social equity and the recognition of the fundamental right to the highest possible level of health.
The Alliance for Health is a platform for Mozambican and international actors whose common objective is to defend the Right to Health, from the perspective of the social determinants of health.
The Right to Health is a fundamental right that allows us to enjoy other rights, and all other rights are equally important and irreplaceable.
The Declaration of Alma-Ata, resulting from the International Conference on Primary Health Care, held in Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), from 6 to 12 September 1978, states in point IV, that: "The people have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care.”
Health Activism is a fundamental strategic line and an end in itself for the Alliance for Health.
In this context, the Alliance for Health aims to influence social transformation and public health policies in Mozambique, in a perspective of cooperation and constructive collaboration. That is, it intends to carry out concrete actions of advocacy and awareness with a view to: influencing public policies with an impact on health, but also influencing social and behaviour change to defend the Right to Health and the Primary Health Care strategy, focusing on the Social Determinants of Health.