News
Churches, health institutions, health workers and advocates worldwide expressed deep sadness at the death of Dr Halfdan T. Mahler on 14 December.
Mahler served as the third director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) from 1973-1988. Under his leadership, WHO collaborated with the Christian Medical Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to promote a dramatic change in the approach to bring about ‘health for all’ through primary health care.
Instead of top-down perspectives of health planning and systems analysis, priority was given to bottom-up approaches to community involvement and development, but without losing sight of the importance of planning and informed decision-making.
Mahler is widely acknowledged as the charismatic driving force behind adoption of the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978 which is regarded as one of most significant moments in public health history. The WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund, and 134 signatory nations declared the goal of “Health for All by 2000”.
The declaration established health as a fundamental human right, and the attainment of its highest level as an important world-wide social goal requiring action from many social and economic sectors in addition to the health sector.
In 2008, on the 30th anniversary of the declaration, Mahler said: “Unless we all become partisans in renewed local and global battles for social and economic equity in the spirit of distributive justice, we shall indeed betray the future of our children and grandchildren.”
Mahler helped initiate WCC's 42-year old relationship with WHO, explained Manoj Kurian, coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. He remained faithful to his social justice approach to health,” said Kurian. “He will continue to be an inspiration for health activists, faith communities, and civil society organizations as well as the people’s health movement.”
