Blood In memoriam Héctor Abad Gómez *
text written by Professor Maria Esperanza Lopez Echeverry occasion commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Héctor Abad Gómez.
The historical record makes the identity of peoples, and of course use the past to make it serve the present. This does not mean that all are legitimate uses of the past, it is read in its exemplary, and the lesson to be learned must be legitimate in itself not come from a memory that is dear to us or that it favors certain interests, but because it serves au na cause. Tzvetan Todorov
Today I would like to refer to the legacy of public health thinking Héctor Abad Gómez with a twofold purpose: first, a tribute single, more emotional than academic, for a man who made his life a relentless activism for the health for all, but especially for the destitute and, secondly, as a shared experience with the student group managers of this initiative.
In a work so vast and vital experience as rich and complex, and the knowledge which I have just emerging, pointed out three elements: the validity of his thinking in public health, tolerance and political dimension of public health .
1. Public health thinking
For Hector Abad public health was an indispensable component of welfare, why pursue educational and public-forth action in numerous writings, in texts such as the theory and practice of public health, and his opinion columns in newspapers and magazines, were directed to spread their students and report to the public that understanding socio-political realities of health , to make visible the relationship between social inequalities and inequities in health. This meant to transcend the technical concepts for living and teaching public health and "social ethics", a space of struggle for quality and living conditions for everyone, but especially for the poor.
find in this thought several items that remain relevant.
First, the choice of a public health is not neutral, that is, it does everything that today the majority of citizens, our faculty and much of the state institutions we have left out: taking the side of the dispossessed, object, and creates public complaint about social and health inequalities are morally unacceptable, and challenges and questions the state policies that favor only the interests of a privileged few.
Secondly, the finding that it is possible to move from theory to action, or rather, in practice, a practice that is under construction, capable of being transformed by reflection, and make public health education at one of the ways to deploy this project to life. No doubt the founding of the National School of Public Health, working in the department of preventive medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, the foundation and participation in various academic journals and the implementation of visionary initiatives such as rural health promoters and the struggle for health
from human rights, account for this practice is not without its vicissitudes and unfinished projects, but that leaves a lesson the possibility of teaching by example.
Thirdly, the claim of humanism, along with science, technology and efficiency, and not as residual or supplementary notion of public health, updates the inquiry by the type of health aide training and today we want our students to aspire to be, precisely now market and profitability moving to solidarity, equity and universality as the guiding principles of the public and the planning and delivery of health services, while education and public health practice in the best , are silenced or quickly adapt to the new economic rationality.
Last read in its exemplary and historical memory that can help always problematic construction of identity. The sense of permanence of public health thinking Héctor Abad Gómez learned is that transcend the particular to the universal: the principle of justice, the ethical dimension to the practice, tracing a possible horizon, ethical and health policy public. It is from this universal sense that there is the question of the power project and that we want to build.
today What is our identity?
the socio-political and domestic and global business have changed. Colombia today
back a decade in social development. In health, spending
proportionally higher, about 50% of the population is not covered by health insurance, the old social and health inequalities have increased, re-emerging diseases and epidemics and controlled, and quickly lost strength in health governance that the country took decades to build.
While this reality is also made of a social debt accumulated
beyond the health field, it is another question: what is our responsibility as faculty and a public health specialists in the production and maintenance of our current reality in health? Do we want to change that reality? How and where? I think back to Hector Abad and reread it would provide some cues necessary but not sufficient "to respond calmly, honestly and publicly to these questions and to eventually guide the change.
2.
tolerance means the recognition of otherness, living in the midst of diversity and the exercise
plurality. Perhaps "the mesoísmo" stamped and signed by Dr. Abad, intended to express such a philosophical position and the political attitude which is strongly taking sides, but also strongly rejected the fanaticism of the extreme positions, whatever its ideological foundation , academic or political, rescuing the complexity of knowledge and human nature and the diversity and richness of social life and the civilian political action.
Perhaps my interpretation is inaccurate. In my reading
still incomplete and preliminary work by Héctor Abad found not elaborate the concept, but in any case, this vision of tolerance granted the right to be and think differently, to validate another position, which is to take from the ends, playing at the same time vital resource. In this perspective
key meeting to tread a path which we still have a lot, which is to make knowledge, academia and practice public health teaching in an area as diverse as life itself: recovering libertarian and universal essence of the university, the possibility of dissent and the right to exercise the opposition and guarantee real democracy. Without it we can not assert themselves, or direct teaching health professionals towards the formation of autonomous, with its own criteria and a sense of citizenship.
3. The political dimension of public health
Hannah Arendt incorporates and updates the policy significance for the Greeks: what is the supreme political groups, belong to the world of the polis, of the issues, unlike the oikos, as private- interest to everyone, hence the public should be transparent, because that is what is done with regard to others. Is that real and symbolic space where the collective interest is built, the arena where they play the checks and balances, where conflict and non-violent opposition are legitimate, necessary and visible.
A policy perspective that public health has gambled the life and works of Hector Abad, reporting and combating social inequalities in health are a constant in his writings and his own life experience. Looking raided transform public administration and ran for mayor of Medellin. With their advice to national health agencies and international, he wanted to influence the content and scope of public policy, social and health services. He believed in what he did in his life: in public health as a knowledge and practice primarily essential and politicians whose goal was "the
possible utopia" of a healthy, horizon that exceeds the narrow scope of the institutions and health sector organization. Not in vain his life was cut short in front of the Human Rights Committee of Antioquia.
This political commitment today takes us straight to the options that we want to play as faculty and a public health specialists in the public space, that whatever the truth, it must be told. A sound mean in the first instance, to recognize and systematically tell students, teachers, government-no matter what and know-, social organizations and the public that today Colombia is a country with more than 60 % of population below the poverty line and 20% in extreme poverty, that 60% of the economically active population works in the informal market, that national and international health is settled quickly and uncritically to profitability economy as a guiding principle of his
task that today the equity and democracy are discourses-not-practice
Manichaean and empty of content, and now public health
reckless and shameful keep silent while public hospitals are closed, the only ones who could assist the poor, and deepened as a moral affront huge inequities in the situation health and access to health services.
The formation of a critical conscience in society, students
sensitive to suffering and injustice (generated largely by their own states and governments
) and civic ethics, civil ethos is responsible and proactive task delegated
and permanent, but not exclusively of the University. Maybe that would be a beginning to recover, says Boaventura de Souza Santos, the ability and right to indignation-nascent but valuable germ-citizens, the same indignation that is evident in many writings of Hector Abad, in the hope someday turn into political action.
why students and teachers vibrating sensitive to public health can not give up politics in the broadest sense of the word humanist. Carlos Gaviria Diaz, by the way, friend and co-Abad Gómez in the struggle for human rights, said in a recent interview that politics is not high because there is also played the vital sense of the personal. And this concern has been mobilizing students to take shape this event in memory of Hector Abad, must be cared for with faith, with determination, with the power and passion of youth, as caring for a fragile bud sprouting, to Flower and fruit: "Heart of student / have to take care of life / we must take care of that outbreak to rescue the two, flowers and fruits" .* * Excerpt from the song Heart of student of Brazilian popular music, composed by Milton Nascimento.
The conviction and political action are also made of persistence, especially when is chosen to distance themselves against the established power. Hector Abad, a man breaks, he argued, paradoxically, in a spirit conservative, "working within the system", "no organization dedicated to changing society." We may or may not share this view, but he always remained, and beyond the difficulties, misunderstandings, failures, intolerance and their own unfinished projects, his vocation was vital for public health. "How many times their offspring were torn from the road, how many times
its fate was twisted to the pain, but returned with their hope, their dawn every day." * Perhaps
passion for public health can not be taught, but the legacy of a lifetime: the best tribute to Hector Abad would transcend the discourse and the exaltation and content to the teaching and practice of public health . As a step in that direction, I propose to the Faculty and the University, build and promote a lecture about the thought of this great man of public health.
Medellin, August 22, 2002 Heart of student
Brazilian music, Milton Nascimento and Warner Tiso)
I want to talk about a thing, as blood
hope you breathe
our chest,
and rocks like the sea:
always sleeps beside us, caressing our hands
,
is the passion of freedom,
young as this love. How many times
shoot was cut off the road?
How many times your destination
was twisted until the pain? More
turned their hope, their dawn
every day, and there
take care of that outbreak, oh,
to save two: flower and fruit. Heart
student
must take care of life,
must take care of this world, and understand
friends.
The happiness and many dreams
that illuminate the road,
green plant y sentimiento,
hojas, corazón, juventud y fe.
1 Publicado en la Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública 2002; 20(2): 137-141
* Ibid.
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