The PHM at the ALAMES congress: Latin American integration in health is a necessity

With an active presence of delegates from the Global Secretariat of the PHM and the coordination of the Circle "Julio Monsalvo" Southern Subregion, the People's Health Movement participated in the XVII Congress of the Latin American Association of Social Medicine and Collective Health (ALAMES) held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from July 17 to 21, 2023. The Congress, which had as its theme: "Syndemia, reconfiguration in the world and the struggle for Good Living", was led by the Argentine chapter of ALAMES and was attended by 13 countries and 1,000 delegates.

During the congress, the MSP held an exchange meeting with delegates of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) on the perspectives of the Peoples' Health Tribunal promoted by the MSP.

At the discussion table on the situation of health systems in Latin America, the Global Coordinator of the PHM emphasized the need for transformation and decolonization of the region's health systems and particularly the need for integration in health in the region based on a focus on sovereignty in health and participation of the peoples and communities, learning from the lessons of previous experiences such as those of UNASUR, ISAGS and CELAC. Health integration in the region is an issue currently mobilized in the agenda of struggle of political parties and left and progressive governments and social movements in the Latin American region.

The Latin American Regional Circle of the PHM had an active participation in the discussion on "re-invention in the field of health: discourses in tension", also accompanied the field visit of delegations of the congress to the community health center TATU in the province of Buenos Aires, a Community Health Center built by the population in a land taken where volunteers from all disciplines and interests offer health care and prevention, which facilitates access to health in an integral way in the community. It was born with the Argentine doctors trained in the ELAM, so it has a political position based on the Guevarist praxis of all its members.

The MSP accompanied in the act of solidarity with the struggle of the native peoples of the Argentine province of Jujuy for the defense of their territory, autonomy and democracy, and against the exploration and exploitation of lithium in Argentina.