Putting people first means following Gandhi's Talisman
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Shobha Shukla – CNS
A collage of a group of people Description automatically generatedWhat can be a better explanation of what #PutPeopleFirst means than what was explained so candidly by Mahatma Gandhi. He had said: "I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test- Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [or woman or any gender] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [or her or them]. Will he [or she or they] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [or her or them] to a control over his [or her or their] own life and destiny? Then you will find your doubts melt away."
Our health system seems to be following Gandhiji’s Talisman upside down. Instead of serving the most marginalised it is getting more geared to leave them behind. Our health system must meet the needs of the poorest of the poor and weakest of the weak. And the same quality of service which goes to this person should be a benchmark for everyone else.
Putting people first means thinking of solutions from the point of view of those most affected. People are not hard to reach. It is the healthcare services that are hard to reach and serve (most of) them with equity and human dignity.
Responses to HIV and TB, and for that matter any other health condition, must be built keeping the most vulnerable in mind. Quality health services should be made available to all, and the healthcare delivery systems should keep in mind people’s needs, their gender, age and socioeconomic status.
Here are some responses from people living with HIV, people who have survived TB, other community advocates, policymakers, programme implementers, clinicians, and the private sector to the question- “What does #PutPeopleFirst mean to you?”
Those who are left behind should be served first
Sumit Mitra, President (International Sales), Molbio Diagnostics said: “Are we focussing on those struggling to access health services with equity, and rights? Which people are we talking about? Who are those marginalized people who have no healthcare?
It is these 60-70% people without any healthcare that we must reach out to with the best of available technologies that are adequate, because living a healthy life is not a political thing - it is a fundamental right of every individual; it is his/her/ their body. And if one human body gets the treatment that it deserves, then so do the others, irrespective of where they are- Global South or the Global North. We should have the health services and tools right at the doorsteps of those 60-70% marginalized, last mile people and communities who hitherto would never have had the opportunity to get quality diagnostic solutions for themselves. It is important to ensure that the most marginalised and the most likely to be left behind people get prioritised for equitable access to the full range of health and development services.”
Move beyond tokenism
Kagita Lakshmi Priya, founding Director of Cheyutha (‘Cheyutha’ means helping hand in Telugu language) - a women-led community-based organisation in Telangana state of India. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1999.
“It does not mean putting their (survivors) photos on the brochures or merely using such slogans. Having slogans or just using the community for branding purposes will not do. If you really want to put people first, do so at the grassroots level. Putting people first also means doing prevention so that others do not get infected. Community members need to be supported. Organisations working for the betterment of people living with HIV should have a vision for the relief of the whole community, including women and children. From my personal lived experience that is not happening as of now,” said Lakshmi Priya.
Think about health solutions from the perspective of people we serve
David Bridger, Country Director of UNAIDS for India said:
(To be contd)
A collage of a group of people Description automatically generatedWhat can be a better explanation of what #PutPeopleFirst means than what was explained so candidly by Mahatma Gandhi. He had said: "I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test- Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [or woman or any gender] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [or her or them]. Will he [or she or they] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [or her or them] to a control over his [or her or their] own life and destiny? Then you will find your doubts melt away."
Our health system seems to be following Gandhiji’s Talisman upside down. Instead of serving the most marginalised it is getting more geared to leave them behind. Our health system must meet the needs of the poorest of the poor and weakest of the weak. And the same quality of service which goes to this person should be a benchmark for everyone else.
Putting people first means thinking of solutions from the point of view of those most affected. People are not hard to reach. It is the healthcare services that are hard to reach and serve (most of) them with equity and human dignity.
Responses to HIV and TB, and for that matter any other health condition, must be built keeping the most vulnerable in mind. Quality health services should be made available to all, and the healthcare delivery systems should keep in mind people’s needs, their gender, age and socioeconomic status.
Here are some responses from people living with HIV, people who have survived TB, other community advocates, policymakers, programme implementers, clinicians, and the private sector to the question- “What does #PutPeopleFirst mean to you?”
Those who are left behind should be served first
Sumit Mitra, President (International Sales), Molbio Diagnostics said: “Are we focussing on those struggling to access health services with equity, and rights? Which people are we talking about? Who are those marginalized people who have no healthcare?
It is these 60-70% people without any healthcare that we must reach out to with the best of available technologies that are adequate, because living a healthy life is not a political thing - it is a fundamental right of every individual; it is his/her/ their body. And if one human body gets the treatment that it deserves, then so do the others, irrespective of where they are- Global South or the Global North. We should have the health services and tools right at the doorsteps of those 60-70% marginalized, last mile people and communities who hitherto would never have had the opportunity to get quality diagnostic solutions for themselves. It is important to ensure that the most marginalised and the most likely to be left behind people get prioritised for equitable access to the full range of health and development services.”
Move beyond tokenism
Kagita Lakshmi Priya, founding Director of Cheyutha (‘Cheyutha’ means helping hand in Telugu language) - a women-led community-based organisation in Telangana state of India. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1999.
“It does not mean putting their (survivors) photos on the brochures or merely using such slogans. Having slogans or just using the community for branding purposes will not do. If you really want to put people first, do so at the grassroots level. Putting people first also means doing prevention so that others do not get infected. Community members need to be supported. Organisations working for the betterment of people living with HIV should have a vision for the relief of the whole community, including women and children. From my personal lived experience that is not happening as of now,” said Lakshmi Priya.
Think about health solutions from the perspective of people we serve
David Bridger, Country Director of UNAIDS for India said:
(To be contd)