Above photo: Activists protest at the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC for National Improved Medicare for All, HR 676. All photos by Chris Owens for Popular Resistance unless otherwise marked.
On April 7, people around the world took action to celebrate World Health Day by declaring that health care is not a commodity and should not be privatized. The theme of the day was “Our health is not for sale. In the more than 80 cities in the European Union that participated, the demands were to provide full public funding for their health systems and to end privatization. In the United States, the demand was to create a universal publicly-funded health system, as every other industrialized nation has done.
In Washington, DC, health advocates gathered in front of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is close to Capitol Hill, with a large banner that said, “Our health is not for sale” to speak out about the failures of the United States’ market experiment in health care.
Dave Scoville, Vice President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (part of the Teamsters) defended the high quality health benefits that his members fought to win and to protect. He said that they are not ashamed that they have access to health care. They believe that everyone should have access to health care through a single payer health system.
Dr. Carol Paris, the president of Physicians for a National Health Program, described the epidemic that is sweeping the nation, which curiously stops at the Northern and Southern borders. She calls it Privatization-Induced Stress Disorder or PISD (pronounced “pissed”). Dr Paris said we are all pissed no matter whether you are a patient or a health professional and rich and poor alike, except perhaps those in the top 1% of wealth.
Brittany Shannahan, organizer for the Health Care is a Human Right campaign in Maryland and who lived in the United Kingdom for eight years, made the connection between our global struggles for health care. “Doctors and nurses in the UK have been on strike over the past year for the same reasons that health professionals in the US are fighting for a better system. They are being forced to spend less time with patients and care for more than they can handle in order to save money,” she said. “We are in solidarity with their struggle.”
Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance, said that the fundamental struggle in the United States is whether we will treat health care as a commodity through a system like the Affordable Care Act, which relies on private insurance, or whether we will treat health care as the public necessity that it is and create a publicly-funded universal comprehensive health system, National Improved Medicare for All. “You can’t say that health care is a human right and then treat it like a commodity,” said Zeese. “We need members of Congress to be held accountable for where they stand on this issue.”
After the speak out, the group held a die-in on the front steps of the Department of Health and Human Services to bring attention to the 80 people who die every day in the United States because they do not have access to health care.
Teach-ins, rallies and marches were held in other cities across the United States. The North American branch of the People’s Health Movement, which called for the day of action, held a teach-in and rally in Seattle. Activists gathered in a park in Minnesota and in the down town of York, PA. Others marched in New York City.
In the European Union, there were a wide variety of actions. In Brussels, a group taped a large bar code to the front of the national Ministry of Health to show that health care is not a commodity that can be sold in the marketplace. They also rallied and displayed white banners throughout the city.
Activists turn Belgian secretary of health into barcode to oppose commercialisation. @Geneeskunde3eW @M3Monde present! #health4all #7april pic.twitter.com/XEhqOLGph0
— Julie Steendam (@JulieSteendam) April 7, 2017
Some actions were simple . White banners were displayed in cities across the EU saying “Our health is not for sale.” People also tabled in public spaces.
Ja ha començat la jornada en defensa de la sanitat pública que organitzem avui a la Plaça Santa Anna de #Mataró. #SalutXtotes #Health4All pic.twitter.com/llUzynygJC
— Maresme Sanitat (@matarosanitat) April 8, 2017
L’Ajuntament de BCN aposta amb força pel dret a la salut, i per sanitat publica, universal i de qualitat #health4all https://t.co/TGEf9N6Cwa pic.twitter.com/PzR7Lgfu9l
— Gemma Tarafa (@GemmaTarafa) April 7, 2017
Europese actiedag tegen commercialisering van gezondheidszorg: “People’s health in people’s hands!” #health4all #7april #rechtopgezondheid pic.twitter.com/4z4fUerWu3
— G3W (@Geneeskunde3eW) April 7, 2017
Le iniziative della giornata internazionale #health4all continuano a #Bologna in piazza Re Enzo #7aprile La salute non è mai in vendita pic.twitter.com/TbCbP0rhPO
— VALENTINA (@VBazzarin) April 7, 2017
Nueva protesta contra la privatización sanitaria #Health4All https://t.co/3qALxZ0hp6 vía @laopinioncoruna https://t.co/eujHmN005c
— Jose Rodriguez (@Jose_DRY) April 8, 2017
#Health4All: UGT se suma a la campaña en defensa de la salud pública para tod@s https://t.co/aiWx5BEGbL
— FSP-UGT Malaga (@fspmalaga) April 8, 2017
In Logrono, Spain, advocates danced with their white banners.
#7Abril #Logroño #Health4All #DíaMundialDeLaSalud #NuestraSaludNoEstáEnVenta#LASLISTASDESEsESPERAn pic.twitter.com/DBBQ1VheYS
— Marea Blanca Rioja (@mareablancaLGN) April 7, 2017
#7Abril #Logroño #Health4All #DíaMundialDeLaSalud #NuestraSaludNoEstáEnVenta https://t.co/1MdBb0Lvo3
— Marea Blanca Rioja (@mareablancaLGN) April 7, 2017
Others held choreographed actions such as flash mobs, puppets, skits and even a tug-of-war.
Great flashmob at #Brussels Central Station this morning in support of #7april #Health4All day of action! https://t.co/Pd4ieFz8OZ pic.twitter.com/wzMMzv8jY9
— HealthPovertyAction (@HealthPoverty) April 7, 2017
Action en cours @PlaceRepublique pour la journée mondiale de la santé #StopParadisFiscaux #Health4All #7avril pic.twitter.com/CbBhGv89cZ
— Attac France (@attac_fr) April 7, 2017
Évasion fiscale : autopsie d’un crime social ! Journée mondiale de la santé, place de la République. #Health4All #EndTaxHavens pic.twitter.com/5TIJNg9U68
— Attac France (@attac_fr) April 7, 2017
Comenzamos #Health4All pic.twitter.com/EAj2aHk8PN
— mareablancazgz (@mareablancazgz) April 7, 2017
#health4all Zaragoza Marea blanca 7 de abril pic.twitter.com/LgpXWmYXZU
— Carmen Valencia (@Carmenyvalen) April 8, 2017
Health advocates held a crime scene investigation to say that not funding public health is a social crime.
.@UnionSolidaires @Sudsante_APHP @attac_fr @SolidairesParis @CgtSanteSocial @SudProtSociale @PresseFSU Intervention sur les saignées du système de santé en Grèce et l’émergence des dispensaires autogérés #Health4All https://t.co/zl9e9j3UBJ pic.twitter.com/asNfUQrjHS
— SUD Santé Sociaux (@SudSanteSociaux) April 7, 2017
In Mataro, Spain, they had a large public meal of vegetarian paella.
.@LaPAICAM @fav_mataro @MareaBlancaCAT @EUHealthNetwork @AVRocafonda Tot a punt pel dinar popular. La defensa de la sanitat pública es cou a foc lent i amb alegria. #Health4All #SalutXtotes pic.twitter.com/YfudU0KXdo
— Maresme Sanitat (@matarosanitat) April 8, 2017
There were teach-ins and rallies.
Témoignage d’une médecin en maison médicale sur les effets tangibles de la #commercialisation de la santé. #Health4All pic.twitter.com/frOtR7eDzn
— HealthNotForSale (@EUHealthNetwork) April 7, 2017
Jan Schriefer from #FNV advising not to let the NHS healthcare be broken down like they did in the Netherlands! #Health4All pic.twitter.com/iFhFJcZGTs
— HealthNotForSale (@EUHealthNetwork) April 7, 2017
Rompemos el muro por la #SanidadPública #DíaMundialDeLaSalud @MesaDefensaSani (ⓂEDSAP) #MareaBlanca #Retiro #Health4All Fotos @AgustnMilln pic.twitter.com/TzWrfIqvTa
— Cumbre Social (@SocialcumbreS) April 7, 2017
In Barcelona, Mollet, Terrassa, El Prat we take the streets and the squares #Health4All #April7th #SalutXTotes pic.twitter.com/ZcKrr1RABm
— Marea Blanca CAT (@MareaBlancaCAT) April 8, 2017
Questa mattina sportello salute #CasaGallo e @adlcobas in presidio #Ausl x giornata Contro la commercializzazione della salute #health4all pic.twitter.com/wIcbXvyxfW
— Casa Madiba Network (@LabPazProject) April 7, 2017
And in Italy, they marched.
Ieri #7aprile giornata contro la commercializzazione della salute – prime foto dalle azioni in Italia https://t.co/71RN649sjO #Health4All pic.twitter.com/hxZKabLVbC
— Chiara Bodini (@chiarezza_b) April 8, 2017
#Health4All en Florencia defendendo a sanidade pública pic.twitter.com/YgzMcaLW2h
— Defensa Sanidade (@CasCoruna) April 8, 2017
In Napoli with migrants and unemployed workers. Health is for all! #health4all pic.twitter.com/ARas0Tn9xP
— HealthNotForSale (@EUHealthNetwork) April 7, 2017
Around the world, the demand was clear. Everybody needs health care!
#Health4All #worldhealthday #nhsnot4sale @frankwoodunite @UniteforLen @EPSUnions @psi_id a show of action and resistance to privatisation! pic.twitter.com/EeofaLOKub
— ColenzoJarrettThorpe (@only1colenzojt) April 7, 2017