Newsletter June 2024

Here's our year overview 2023

We are proud to publish our year overview 2023! It highlights how we worked to achieve global health justice over the past year. You’ll also find our financial report as well as an introduction to our new supervisory board members. We would like to thank our donors and partners for their essential support and confidence in our work. Read more ➔

Case study: more needed for regional production of medicines

The BioNTech mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Rwanda contributes to greater access to mRNA vaccines in Africa in the short-term, but lacks plans to enhance the continent’s sovereignty and self-reliance in access to health products in the long-term. This is the main conclusion from our case study of the BioNTech Africa facility, conducted by Wemos and three partners from Africa. We shared our findings at our launch webinar as well as in the German national parliament (Bundestag). More about the case study ➔

World Health Assembly: insights on health worker recruitment

On 30 May, Wemos and civil society partners held a successful debate on the World Health Organization’s Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva. With sixty representatives from member states’ governments and civil society at the packed venue, participants shared insights on how to make the Code more effective, and testimonies about migrating as a health and care worker. Read more ➔

Make Way for Youth podcast: Leave no one behind

The second episode of our Make Way for Youth podcast is now out! This time, Steven Jethro Phiri, programme officer at the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD), joins the conversation. Together, we discuss the importance of applying intersectionality to advocacy and programming work to ensure everyone can realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Listen on Spotify, YouTube or your favourite streaming platform.

People's Health Assembly: a space for advocacy and solidarity

Our global health advocate, Marco Angelo, attended the 5th People’s Health Assembly, a major event by the People’s Health Movement. It brings together health activists and experts from more than 70 countries to discuss urgent health issues. In this article, Marco shares his insights from the event and our two sessions. With AWAC Uganda and N’weti, we debated sexual and reproductive health and rights in oppressive contexts, and health financing and barriers to access to healthcare. Read the article ➔

Applying an intersectional lens: Training of Trainers

The Make Way Training of Trainers course was recently completed in Kenya. It develops the skills of trainers on the Make Way intersectional lobby and advocacy toolkit. With twenty collaborating partners and youth representatives participating from across the Make Way implementing countries, the course strived to improve understanding of intersectionality, show how to apply and provide training on the Make Way tools and enhance the participants’ training skills. Read more ➔

International cooperation is essential – sign the petition today

The new Dutch government coalition plans to cut up to 2.4 billion euros per year in development cooperation in the coming years. Dutch civil society organizations have started a petition to emphasize the need to continue investing in topics like global health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, poverty reduction, human rights, food safety, climate change, and more. Please show your support by signing the petition. Sign the petition ➔

Wemos tips & picks

'I, Daniel Blake' is a powerful movie that underscores the importance of a compassionate healthcare system. The story follows a widowed carpenter, Daniel Blake, recovering from a heart attack. Despite being declared unfit to work by his doctor, he struggles to navigate bureaucratic barriers to access health and social rights. It is a must-see for its poignant reminder of the right to health and how supportive systems can uphold dignity and humanity.