The formation of the MDS was inspired by the PSI Human Right to Health global campaign. FeSProSa, a PSI affiliate in the Argentinian health and social sector, played a central role in bringing together civil society organisations and activists, to establish the platform as a national expression of the global campaign.

In a solidarity message to the 2-day Congress, PSI noted that the main reason why “health for all” remains a mirage is because health is perceived as a commodity by business interests, whose profit-driven ideology have been swallowed hook, line and sinker by governments across the world. Based on this neoliberal ideology, public health systems have been battered while corporations skim as much as they can as profit, from the 5.8 trillion US$ spent on health every year.

Thus, as we point out in the solidarity message:

The struggle for the right to health and social protection is and must be a challenge to the neoliberal assumptions that inform social and economic policies of states and the international financial institutions.

The Movement for the Right to Health in Argentina is an inspiring step in this struggle, uniting health workers, civil society organisations and communities to fight for People Over Profit.

This article is an extract from the “Right to Health” newsletter issue 04 (April/May 2018). Subscribe to the newsletter. Send us your stories.