Activists call for urgent action on privatization and environmental health

By A Representative 

The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health Movement–India) organized a national health conference in Raipur on December 8–9. Around 350 prominent health leaders, activists, representatives of people’s movements and community organizations from 19 states participated. The conference focused on the major challenges in health, the demand for policy changes in the health system, and the need to strengthen grassroots public health movements through coordinated strategies.

Participants expressed serious concern over the government’s policy priorities and the rising threat of privatization. A recent NITI Aayog directive promoting a public–private partnership model for district hospitals drew sharp criticism, with delegates warning that such measures will restrict access to healthcare for the most vulnerable populations. 

Community medicine expert Dr. Ritu Priya, one of the keynote speakers, called for a fundamental shift in the government’s approach. She argued that for too long, health has been narrowly understood as limited to doctors and hospitals. She stressed the importance of validating and integrating community-based practices, traditional knowledge systems, and the work of informal health practitioners who support nearly half the population. 

A healthy society, she said, is built from the ground up rather than imposed from above. According to her, neoliberal policies since the 1990s have systematically weakened public health systems, and the current government’s agenda of privatizing medical education, services, equipment and medicines has effectively turned healthcare into a market instead of a right.

Environmental activist and Green Nobel laureate Prafulla Samantra said the issue is not merely a disagreement with existing policies but an attack on the constitutional fabric that promises equality. He argued that the government is handing over public health services to corporate interests and that schemes like the Ayushman Card are serving corporate gains more than patient welfare.

Among the several issues discussed were the government’s health expenditure, which remains below 1.5 percent of GDP—far from the promised 2.5 percent—along with concerns related to the health insurance model, environmental and climate change impacts, privatization of services, health disparities faced by marginalized communities and violence against women. Farmer leader Dr. Sunilam emphasized that health is deeply linked to the quality of food, which he said has become increasingly toxic due to adulteration and genetically modified production. 

Raj Kumar Sinha, representing the Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Association, noted that while environmental impact assessments are mandatory for large development projects, there should likewise be a legal provision for assessing their health impacts.

The conference concluded with several major announcements and decisions. A nationwide fortnight-long campaign on occupational and environmental health will be held in April 2026. A national public health conference on these themes will take place in Jaipur. A national campaign will also be launched against the privatization of health services and to strengthen public health systems. 

A seven-day course on key health issues for grassroots workers will begin in March 2026, with the aim of preparing strong health workers in 100 districts. Separate groups will be established to address issues relating to violence against women, the health of marginalized communities and related concerns.

A public health declaration was issued at the end of the two-day conference, reaffirming the commitment to collective action at both grassroots and national levels. The meeting also marked the renewal of the national structure of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, with new national and state conveners appointed and a national advisory group formed. 

Several books addressing public health systems, privatization of services, and access to medicines were released during the event. Subject experts including Amitava Guha, Rajasthan’s Kailash Meena, Dadu Lal Kungape and Meera Bai Maravi of the Chutka anti-nuclear movement, and representatives of the Silicosis Affected Union from Alirajpur, including Dinesh Raising and Chunni, shared their experiences across various sessions.