Reclaiming
comprehensive
public health

A CALL TO ACTION for equitable and effective covid-19 responses

JOIN THE CALL TO ACTION

The Call to Reclaim Comprehensive Public Health responds to concerns and missed opportunities in pandemic responses. It calls on heads of state and government, and others involved in shaping the response to COVID-19, to adopt a set of ten principles and approaches to provide inclusive, just, equitable and effective public health approaches in countering COVID-19 and future pandemics.

relcaiming comprehensive public health: a 10-point call to action

As the world has responded to the COVID-19, it has revealed long-standing tensions between biosecurity- and biomedical-focused approaches to public health and those that address social determinants, facilitate participation and protect human rights. This call responds to a concern that certain pandemic responses in countries and at global level have failed to prioritise knowledge, equity and rights, and to learning from the positive impacts of proactive, co-operative, participatory, rights-based and evidence-informed public health responses.

In response, some members of the Reclaiming Comprehensive Public Health Group published a commentary in the BMJ Global Health outlining these concerns and positive experiences and calling for ‘a comprehensive, social determinant, participatory and justice-driven public health, in different regions and countries and globally'. The Reclaiming Comprehensive Public Health Group subsequently convened people from a range of countries, sectors, constituencies and disciplines involved in public health to prepare a Call to Action on heads of state and government and others involved in shaping the response to COVID-19.

We invite all involved in health and pandemic responses to read the Call, and if you support the principles, to sign it (personally and/or institutionally) and engage others. For any questions, please email RCPHcall@gmail.com.

The Call sets out 10 essential principles for a comprehensive approach to countering current and future pandemics.  These key points are outlined below, or follow the link to access the full text of the relevant clause.  The Call can also be viewed in a variety of languages on this page.

Show your support by adding your name to the list of public signatories or signing on behalf of your organisation. Below is the list of signatures from the public since the publication of the call. For any questions, please email RCPHcall@gmail.com.

JOIN THE CALL TO ACTION
Individual signatories

Apurvakumar Pandya

Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar
India

Lisa Silvani

Medical Doctor
Indonesia

Jo Vearey

Wits Uniersity
South Africa

kamar tanyan

Saint Helena Government
St Helena island

Dr. Neethi V Rao

Independent
India

Juliet Delta

Australia

Wouter Arrazola de Onate

Medical director - Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association
Belgium

Nehla Djellouli

Institute for Global Health, University College London
UK

Lee Randall

Occupational therapist, Founder of Road Ethics Project NPC
South Africa

Richard Osborne

Centre for Global Health and Equity
Australia

Annabel Grieve

UK

Remco van de Pas

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp
Belgium

Jana Semrau

Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Germany

Edmond Sanganyado

Zimbabwe Young Academy of Sciences
Zimbabwe

Rochelle

Institute for Global Health, UCL
United Kingdom

Abdul Qayoom

National Development Youth Club (NGO)
India

Callie Lewis

Individual
RSA

Manisha Sharma

NGO
India

Ram Krishna

Aulia Adhyatmik Anusandhan kaedra
India

Joseph Amon

Director, Office of Global Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia
United States

Predrag Duric

Public health consultant, Honorary Associate Lecturer, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
Europe

Kumaravel Ilangovan

ICMR - National Institute of Epidemiology
India

Moeketsi Modisenyane

Public Health Association of South Africa
South Africa

Borja Cuervo Alonso

Mr
Spain

Vicha Annisa Adri

Independent Maternal and Child Health Consultant & Researcher
United States

Janette Bennett

Self-employed
South Africa

Dr Velile Ngidi

Xubera Institute
South Africa

Lisa Sharwood

UNSW
Australia

Sharmin Zahan

Digital Healthcare Solutions of Grameen Telecom Trust
Bangladesh

Judy Simpson

Emeritus Professor of Biostatistics, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Australia

Bernd Appelt

German International Development Cooperation
Germany

Deena Al Asfoor

Ministry of Health
Oman

Sharifah Sekalala

Associate Professor: University of Warwick
United Kingdom

Robin Ireland

University of Glasgow
United Kingdom

Lisa McNally

Leitrim Life Sciences
Ireland

Prof. Steve Luby

Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine), Stanford University
USA

Dr. Andrew Dansie

University of New South Wales
Australia

Gill Walt

Emeritus Professor of International Health Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
UK

Hilde Basstanie

-
Belgium

Khanyisa Manzini

-
South Africa

Marta Schaaf

Independent Consultant
United States

Megan Schmidt-Sane

Institute of Development Studies
United Kingdom

Minakshi Dahal

Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA)
Nepal

Linda Gibson

Nottingham Trent University
United Kingdom

Erica Gadsby

University of Kent, CHSS
United Kingdom

Salla Atkins

Tampere University
Finland

Annette von Roenne

Healthy Developments web portal for BMZ, GIZ and KfW
Germany

Dr. Fizzah Saeed

T Diabetes Wellness Solutions
Pakistan

Surinder Kaul

Independent Public Health Physician
Thailand

Amy Carmichael

National Health Service
UK

Alexandra Blaise Balmer

Country Director DCA and an UNSW MPH
South Sudan

Vivek N.D.

Assistant Professor, AURO University
Surat, India

Heike Roth

Individual
Australia

Mellany Murgor

Young Professionals Chronic disease network
Kenya

geert tom heikens

Professor emeritus Paediatrics & Child Health College of Medicine University of Malawi
Nederland

Dr Mellany Murgor

General Medical Practitioner, Nairobi
Kenya

Zulfiqar Ali

Dow Medical College
Karachi, Sindh Pakistan

Carinna Hockham

The George Institute for Global Health
United Kingdom

Karen

Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University
Australia

Dr. Priyanka Roy

Assistant Director ( Medical)
India

Pratiksha Gyawali

Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Nepal

Catherine Dom

Mokoro ltd/ ODI
Belgium

nisha singh

Public Health Specialist
India

Andrew K L ROBINSON

North West University
South Africa

Indranil

Jan Swastya Abhiyaan
India

MACELINDA CEPE

CONCERN Inc.
Philippines

Dr. Tamoghna Biswas

Consultant Pediatrician
India

Valerie Leach

Oldham Borough Council
United Kingdom

Fiona Haigh

UNSW
Australia

Dr Kamna Kakkar

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak
India

Samina Parveen

The George Institute for Global Health
India

Deepti Beri

The George Institute for Global Health
India

Hyfa Mohammed Ali

Health system research initiative India
India

Andrés Peralta

ISP-PUCE
Ecuador

Sagri Negi

Public Health
India

Bansari Liladhar Chavda

Assistant Professor
India

Ejemai Eboreime

University of Alberta
Canada

Elyse Conde

Center for Disaster Preparedness
Philippines

Elizabeth Hoffman

n/a
United Kingdom

Keith Craig Househam

Personal capacity
South Africa

Masuma Mamdani

Public Health Consultant
UK

Daniel Campion

Physician
Germany

Linsay Gray

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow
United Kingdom

Katherine Velmonte

A2D Project-Research Group for Alternatives to Development,Inc
Philippines

Kenneth Yakubu

The George Institute For Global Health
Australia

Abdulkarim Dahiru

NAPHDA
Nigeria

Dahada EL JOUD

Bumesp
Mauritania

Brian Li Han Wong

MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL / Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England
UK

Ms Nirmala Sharma

Country Coordinator, Fairmed Nepal
Nepal

Arvin Bhana

Centre for Rural Health, UKZN
South Africa

Martin Gorsky

Centre for History in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
UK

Kevin Assmann

Public Health
Germany

Claire van der Westhuizen

University of Cape Town
South Africa

Sadaf Lynes

Saudi CDC
United Arab Emirates

Dieter Mueller

medico international
Germany

Iman Mubarek

QMU, Edinburgh
United Kingdom

Enow Awah Georges Stevens

Organisation For Health in Sustainable Development (OHISD)
Cameroon

astrid von Kotze

Popular Education Programme
South Africa

Ravi Ram

Madhira Institute
Kenya

Susan Cleary

A/Prof
South Africa
Institutional signatories

A2D Project-Research Group for Alternatives to Development,Inc

Philippines

ABLE

Juba, South Sudan

ACON

Sydney, Australia

AIHM

India

AIHMS-Global

India

AISE Consulting Group

APCASO

Thailand

ASSCODECHA (Associacao Comunitaria para o Desenvolvimento Humano)

Mozambique

AU ECOSOCC Kenya National Chapter

Kenya

Action on Smoking and Health

USA

Africa Women 4 Empowerment

Germany

Afrihealth Optonet Association (CSOs Network)

Nigeria

Agape Women Initiative for Sustainable Development (AWISD)

American Institute of Dental Public Health

USA

Aminata Maternal Foundation Limited

Australia

Australian Council for International Development (ACFID)

Australia

BCH Africa Cameroon

Cameroon

Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association

Belgium

Build Peace and Development

République Démocratique du Congo

CHETRE

Australia

Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD)

Uganda

Centre for Accountability and Inclusive Development (CAAID)

Nigeria

Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa

Centre for the Development of People

Malawi

Chemonics International, S. Arlington, VA

USA

Child Way Uganda

Uganda

College of Public Health Medicine of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa

South Africa

Community Partners International (CPI)

Myanmar/US/Bangladesh

Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative

Nigeria

Curatio International Foundation Tbilisi

Georgia

Damien Foundation Belgium

Belgium

Daraja Press

Canada

Dianova International

Switzerland

Director, Office of Global Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia

United States

Doctorado en Salud Pública Programa Interfacultades, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Colombia

Doctors of the World Belgium

Belgium

Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation (DUZAFOUND)

Nigeria

European Forum for Primary Care (EFPC), Utrecht

The Netherlands

Frontline AIDS

GDSS DELHi

India

Ghana Platform for UHC

Ghana

Global Action on Men’s Health

UK

Global Communities

Global Health 50/50

UK

Global Health Research, University of Leeds

UK

Govinda Pradhan Smruti Sansad (GPSS)

India

Govinda Pradhan Smruti Sansad (GPSS)

India

Grassroot Development Center for Peace and Social Justice

Nigeria

HEARDatUNSW (Health, Rights and Development) UNSW

Australia

Health Action International Asia Pacific

Malaysia

Healthy Societies

UK

Heed the Child Initiative (HCI)

Nigeria

India

India

Indian Public Health Professional Network

India

Institute of Development Studies

UK

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru

India

International Institute for Human Development

India

Iodine Global Network

Global

John Snow, Inc. (JSI)

KANCO

Kenya

Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA)

Kenya

Laboratoire Educations et Pratiques de Santé (LEPS) at Sorbonne Paris Nord University

France

Madhira Institute

Kenya

Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (MANERELA+)

Malawi

Medical Impact

Medicus Mundi International Network

Switzerland / Global

Medicusmundi Spain

Spain

Memisa

Belguim

Movendi International

Sweden

Muslim Family Counselling Services

Ghana

Médecins Sans Vacances

Belguim

NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE PEOPLE HEALTH OF ECUADOR (NFPHE)

Ecuador

NCD Alliance

Global

NCD Alliance of Kenya

Kenya

NGO

India

National Development Youth Club (NGO)

India

Nigeria Association of Evaluators (NAE)

Nigeria

North West University

South Africa

N’weti

Mozambique

Obesity Canada

Canada

Organisation For Health in Sustainable Development (OHISD)

Cameroon

Partners for Impact (PFI)

Germany

People's Health Movement Tanzania

Tanzania

People's Open Access Education Initiative (Peoples-uni)

UK

People’s Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP), Blantyre

Malawi

People’s Health Movement

Global

People’s Health Movement Canada

Canada

Platform for Social Research on Mental Health in Latin America (PLASMA)

Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Brasil

Pragati Path

India

Primary Care International (PCI)

UK

Project Concern International, a Global Communities Partner (PCI), San Diego

USA

Public Health Action (PHACT)

Public Health Foundation

Bangladesh

Regional Network for Equity in health in East and Southern Africa

East and Southern Africa

Road Ethics Project NPC

South Africa

STAR Scholars Network

Bangladesh

Salud para Todos Argentina

Argentina

Santé Diabète

Mali

Scarlett Consulting International

USA

School of Population Health, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Sydney

Australia

Show your support for the Call and encourage others to sign on by sharing it on social media.
A tweet sheet with suggested posts and accompanying infographics can be found here.

Below can find the 10 key components of the call, which can be downloaded or shared directly to twitter.

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Reclaiming
comprehensive
public health

A CALL TO ACTION for equitable and effective covid-19 responses

JOIN THE CALL TO ACTION

THE Reclaiming comprehensive public health group

The Reclaiming Comprehensive Public Health Group involves people from diverse regions, areas of work and disciplines. It was initially drawn from discussions in the Health Systems Global SHAPES technical working group on promoting a comprehensive public health approach in responses to COVID-19. It has since expanded to include those involved in related health processes, such as the EQUINET-coordinated work on community engagement in responses to COVID-19. Different group members have contributed to various outputs, including the Call. The discussion in the Group on advancing a comprehensive public health response continues.

Thanks to those involved in producing the call to action, which includes:

Kirsten Accoe, MPH, Scientific Expert, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

Wilson Damien Asibu, Executive Director, Country Minders for People's Development, Malawi

Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo, Ph.D., MPH, Co-Principal, TERSHA LLC, USA

Dina Balabanova, Associate Professor in Health Systems/Policy, Department of Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Gerald Bloom, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, United Kingdom

Kent Buse, Director, Healthier Societies Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Hawa Camara, MPH, CHES, Implementation Science Researcher, PhD candidate, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Sayan Das, Research scholar, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Thilagawathi Abi Deivanayagam, Specialist Registrar in Public Health, University of Liverpool, UK

Nicholas A. Hooton, MA, MSc, VetMB, Research Uptake Advisor, Abergavenny, UK.

Natasha Howard, Associate Professor National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Singapore.

André Janse van Rensburg, Senior Researcher, Centre for Rural Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Barbara Kaim, Programme Manager, Training and Research Support Centre, Zimbabwe

Rene Loewenson, Director, Training and Research Support Centre, Zimbabwe

Julia Lohmann, Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK

Leslie London, Professor of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Hayley MacGregor, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Marsha Orgill, Senior Research Officer, Health Policy and Systems Division, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Nitin Bajpai, MPH,  Research Manager, Health Division, Sarvodaya Gram Udyog Seva Sansthan, India

Masuma Mamdani, Independent Public Health Consultant, London, UK

Kaaren Mathias, Director - Burans community mental health, Herbertpur Christian Hospital, India and Public Health Physician, Canterbury District Health Board, NZ

Claudio A. Méndez, MPH, director and associate professor of health policy, Instituto de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Tolib Mirzoev, Professor of International Health Policy and Systems, Health of Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, UK

Devaki Nambiar, Program Head, George Institute for Global Health, India

Erica Nelson, Research Fellow, Centre of History in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England; Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, England

Ateeb Ahmad Parray, MPH, Fellow, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Elisabeth Paul, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Stefan Swartling Peterson, Professor of Global Health, Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and Makerere University, Uganda

Bridget Pratt, Senior Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia

Ari Probandari, Professor of Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia

Eric Sarriot, Sr Health Systems Strengthening Advisor, Save the Children, Washington DC. USA [formerly]

Prashanth N Srinivas, Faculty & DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow, Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, India

Felipe Szabzon, Brazilian Centre for Analysis and Planning CEBRAP, Citizenship, Health and Development Team, São Paulo, Brazil

Stephanie Topp, Associate Professor of Global Health and Development, College of Public Health Medicine and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University.

Godelieve Van Heteren,  MB/MD, Sr. International health and health systems, governance and PBF Advisor, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Keshri Vikash R, Senior Research Fellow, The George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India

Sophie Witter, Professor of International Health Financing and Health Systems, Institute of Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK

Anthony Zwi, Professor of Global Health and Development, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

The hosting of the Call via Healthy Societies does not imply any direct relationship between the RCPH and Healthy Societies, or endorsement by or liability of the RCPH group for other content or functions on the Healthy Societies site.

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