2020, the year that made us stronger
40 years ago, in France, was born an association of volunteers who have worked since then to implement the right to health to all the people, especially the most vulnerable, excluded, or victims of natural disasters, epidemics, famines, diseases, armed conflicts, or political violence. 30 years ago, group of people with the same convictions joined in Spain.
2020 began with good news: the social organizations that we form Poletika, we valued employment measures positively, social protection, and taxation agreed to in the government pact between the two signing political groups as positive.
We also initiated the commemoration of our 30th anniversary in February emphasizing that we would like to celebrate our demise because it would mean that everyone has achieved the healthcare they deserve. We knew, however that for the time being we could not allow ourselves to disappear and that we were to continue to combat all diseases, including that of injustice. In that month we also celebrated, as we do every year, the Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, an international reference in humanitarian photography.
And the COVID-19 arrived. We offered our help to the health authorities to collaborate with the healthcare workers: training and improving on the infection prevention and control protocols. We did so in hospitals of the public system and in nursing homes for the elderly.
For the first time, we distributed tonnes of food and warm clothing. We also demanded the regularization of immigrants, the protection of female victims of violence, the right to adequate shelter for homeless people during the epidemic, and an increase in international humanitarian aid.
We contributed to resisting in Spain as well as beyond our borders. Here and there.
We have followed the evolution of the pandemic and continued with our projects in the 19 countries where we work. We have also been in other emergencies, such as the flooding in South Sudan and in the aftermath of the cyclone in Guatemala.
In coordination with the International Network Doctors of the World, with presence in 74 countries, we have always been alongside the healthcare workers. We resisted, sharing the testimony of those who fought without rest. Society, individuals, and corporations showed extreme solidarity. To everyone, thank you!
But above all, we continued learning. We learned that in order to protect global health it is necessary to guarantee healthcare to every person who resides in a territory. That to tolerate inequality is to help spread infectious diseases. That the most equitable health systems, those that leave no one behind are the ones that better resisted the worse health crisis of the last hundred years. That is the best public health strategy, and that is what we presented to the Reconstruction Commission of the House of Commons, knowing that we were the only health NGO to have been consulted.
This pandemic goes on and on and will continue, if between the lessons learned is not to strengthen international aid and the protection of refugees and migrants, extremely exposed. If the countries with weak or almost non-existent health systems, do not have access to diagnostic techniques, prevention and treatment, including vaccination, transmission of the virus and its dreaded mutations it will continue, causing avoidable suffering.
We end the year 2020 and we face 2021 with hope. Hoping to return to close relationships. With the hope to build a world fairer.
