Dear Prime Minister Gillard, Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Heads of State,

We are writing to you as citizens of the Commonwealth as you prepare to meet in Perth Australia in October 2011. With under four years left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) we believe that this CHOGM represents a historic moment to agree on urgent, accelerated and concerted actions to ensure all 2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth have a dignified life with access to basic human rights by 2015.

As members of civil society organizations (CSOs) we value the recognition of the key role we play in development and in deepening democracy as outlined in your “Statement on Civil Society Participation in the Commonwealth.” In this context we are confident that you will listen to our calls and act accordingly.

The 2011 Millennium Development Report illustrates that there have been many advances in the health related MDGs. Through increased funding and critical interventions:
• there has been a 50 per cent reduction in malaria deaths in many countries;
• a significant drop in child mortality, and;
• over 6 million people are now receiving treatment for AIDS.

Despite this, many of the health targets are not on track for achievement by 2015. Intensified collective action and the expansion of successful approaches is urgently required.

We ask that all Commonwealth Countries:
1. implement strategies to ensure that they meet the WHO minimum standard of at least 2.3 professional health workers per 1000 population by 2015 and commit to implementing the 2010 WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel into national policy or law.

2. ensure that all men and women have access to family planning services and that all women are able to give birth with a skilled attendant.

3. scale up responses to TB and HIV in line with the 2015 targets of the Global Plan to Stop TB and the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

4. help eradicate the second human disease in history by fully funding the critical work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

5. ensure that all citizens have access to safe drinking water and effective hygiene by 2015.

6 improve food security and nutrition by significantly increasing support to help small scale agricultural producers increase their produce output and diversity and address the challenges of climate change. This assistance should be focused especially on women producers who often have less access to land and other resources.

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