Pictured above: David Legge

Dear John,

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a dear friend, David Legge. David was a health activist, co-founder of the People’s Health Movement, and a beloved man, friend, leader, and role model for activists and organisations, including Health Poverty Action, around the world.

Health Poverty Action is rooted in the People’s Health Movement, a global movement of communities, health workers, and activists who believe that health is a human right and that poverty, inequality, and injustice are shaped by political and economic choices, not inevitability.  

Over more than two decades, David devoted his love and efforts to the People’s Health Movement. Responsible for Global Health Watch, WHO Watch, and the International People’s Health University, he has been such an energetic force and leader in the movement. 

Even when the scale of the challenge felt overwhelming, David encouraged compassion and collective action. Showing us that hope is built through organising, learning, and standing alongside one another in the struggle for health. 

Pictured above: David Legge

While many of you may not have known David, his ideas and work have shaped the way organisations like us understand health. He made clear that the struggle for health cannot be separated from wider struggles against poverty, exploitation, environmental destruction, and the concentration of power.  

David challenged movements like ours to be honest about what we are confronting, including systems of capitalism and exploitation that undermine health, dignity, and the planet, and to be equally clear about the alternatives we are working towards. 

We honour his life by reaffirming our commitment to the principles he stood for. 

In Solidarity,

Ella Ronan,

Health Poverty Action