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The Right to Health

Older women in sub-Saharan Africa are often dealing with a variety of health challenges. Due to poverty, many do not have the basic resources required for health, such as nutritious food, clean water and adequate housing. Many suffer from HIV/AIDS, TB, or malaria, as well as untreated chronic problems and diseases such as high blood pressure and arthritis. Often older women do not have access to required medicines and affordable, age-friendly health and social services. This is why GRAN campaigns for access to more generic drugs, fair pricing by pharmaceutical companies, and increased investment by Canada and the world to improve access, affordability and age-friendly health care.

GRAN Campaigns related to the Right to Health:

The Right to Food

A Fundamental Human Right

GRAN recognizes access to adequate food as an inherent human right. The right to food is not about charity, but about ensuring that all people have the capacity to feed themselves in dignity. For this right to be fully realized, food must be available, accessible, adequate, and sustainable.1

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Health Equity: Fair Global Access to Lifesaving Medicines/Vaccines

Access to essential medicines is a fundamental element of the Human Right to Health. Since its inception, GRAN has been actively involved in advocating for access to medicines for sub-Saharan Africa. Advocating for legislative amendments to Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR) from 2010 - 2012 was the issue that first galvanized GRANs into action. Since then, GRAN has not wavered in its determined advocacy for equitable access to affordable life-saving medicines.

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Climate Justice and sub-Saharan Africa

The climate emergency disproportionately affects the disempowered and most marginalized across the world – the poor, the old, the very young, and women in particular. Protecting the vulnerable is a matter of justice.

Climate justice is a human-centred approach to responding to the challenges of climate change that embraces human rights, equity, and fairness.

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Mining Justice

GRAN's Mining Justice campaign is undertaken in support of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing human rights abuses in mining communities.   

Widespread well-documented human rights abuses have been associated with the activities of many Canadian mining companies abroad. These companies must be held accountable for their actions in the communities in which they operate.

Not surprisingly, women are disproportionately affected by human rights abuses in mining communities, including:

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