Our work in Belgium
In Belgium, too, we are committed to the right to health and respect for human rights. Social justice does not stop at borders: the political choices made here have direct consequences on the lives and health of people elsewhere. That is why we are working in Belgium to raise awareness, mobilise support and increase political influence, in collaboration with citizens, organisations and social movements.
We are part of an international movement that considers health to be a collective right, not a commodity. By informing, connecting and mobilising people across Europe, we are strengthening this movement that is calling for structural change.
The right to health
The right to health means that everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of health. This goes beyond access to medical care alone. Health is also shaped by the conditions in which people live, work, and grow older. Those who do not have safe work, who live in poverty, or who are excluded face a higher risk of becoming ill and often have less access to healthcare.
These so-called social determinants of health are not a coincidence, but the result of political and economic choices. Policy decisions on labour, housing, social protection, and public services have a direct impact on health and life expectancy. When healthcare is privatized or social rights are dismantled, the right to health comes under pressure, especially for the most vulnerable.
Health is therefore not an individual issue, but a collective responsibility. The right to health requires strong public systems, greater social justice and the active involvement of citizens and social movements. Viva Salud works with partners and movements around the world to defend this right and tackle the structural inequalities that undermine health.
Our approach
Campaigns & actions
The struggle of our partners is also our struggle. Through campaigns and actions, we give their voices a place in public and political debate in Belgium. We translate their experiences and demands into activities in Belgium, build public support, and thus strengthen the shared struggle for accessible, public healthcare, the right to organize, and social justice.
Commitment & fundraising for international solidarity
Volunteers, ambassadors and supporters play an essential role. Through local initiatives, sporting challenges and creative actions, they help to strengthen support and raise the funds necessary for our work.
Viva Salud also organizes solidarity trips and meetings with our partner organizations. These exchanges strengthen both sides and make international solidarity tangible.
Support for social movements
Social change comes from the grassroots. That is why we support social movements fighting for the right to health, social justice and international solidarity. We endorse their analyses, actions and demands, and build bridges between movements in Belgium and our partners around the world.
Training, knowledge sharing & analysis
We strengthen critical awareness of the right to health worldwide and of inequalities in the social determinants of health through training and knowledge sharing. Through workshops and guest lectures, we work with young people, volunteers, civil society organizations, and engaged citizens. Drawing on our own practice and that of our partners, we share analyses that make the structural causes of health inequality visible.