Category Archives: Upcoming Events

The World Health Organization Health and Human Rights team and InWent Capacity Building International of Germany have come together to create an E-Course focusing on Health and Human Rights.

The online module addresses the legal framework, norms and standards, the rights-based approach to health, putting theory into practice, and measures to ensure this practice works. A demo version of the course can be found here with the username: guest password: guest. More information about the online course can be found in this brochure.

According to the WHO the four main goals of this e-course are to:
- Recognize the key linkages between health and human rights
- Familiarize themselves with the legal framework for international human rights
- Be able to analyze and assess public health policies and programs from a human rights perspective
- Apply a human rights-based approach to their own work

Here are both scholarly articles and newspaper articles describing torture practices, outcomes, and medical professionals’ role in these incidents.

This Washington Post article describes the author’s experience as an interrogator in Iraq, often seeing interrogators breaking rules and international standards about proper questioning methods. Some use medical skill or knowledge in order to aid themselves in this interrogation process. At Guantanamo Bay, there have been claims as seen in this New York Times article of doctors aiding interrogators. However, as in the case of Iraq, many physicians may be forced to participate in human rights abuses and torture.

Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF), known for their humanitarian medical work around the world, also produces field research based on the work in the field. The articles can be found here, in full text, so that all can learn from the humanitarian medical work that MSF does.

Students can be involved too! Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) have a student blog that includes updates on volunteer opportunities, relevant news, learning tools, and health and human rights courses. Follow the blog, written by fellow students, here.

The Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health was founded in 1993 as the “first academic center to focus exclusively on the practical dynamic between the issues of health and human rights.” Recent news and upcoming events at the FXB Center can be found here.

Harvard School of Public Health Program in Refugee Trauma offers a course called Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery Training Program. The program is web-based learning November 21, 2011 – May 18, 2012 with an on-site learning in Orvierto, Italy November 7 -19, 2011. The goal of the program is to help people assess the needs of traumatized persons and communities. More information about the course and the application can be found here.

Dr. Ramin Asgary founded Programs in Health and Human Rights and the Human Rights clinics at medical schools including in the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2007 and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2012 where he is currently the director of clinic. He trains medical students and residents and other trainees how to evaluate torture survivors and continues to teach them topics in health and human rights. Dr. Asgary has also helped to initiate, design and develop other health and human rights clinics at other universities/hospitals by direct supervision and proposal writing including the Weill Cornell Human Rights Clinic at Weill Cornell Community Clinic, which is a student run clinic on campus, and the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Miami. He is currently helping with a clinic at Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine.

Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University

The Global Health and Innovation Conference 2012 will be held at Yale University April 21- 22, 2012. Register HERE and receive a student discount with a student ID.

There will be an array of speakers, workshops, and attendees from all 50 states and more than 50 countries.

Uganda Health and Social Justice Fund Onsite Immersion Course

Third annual on-site immersion course in SOCIAL MEDICINE held by the Uganda Health and Social Justice Fund. The course is Beyond the Biological Basis of Disease: the Social and Economic Causation of Illness and will be held at Lacor Hospital in GULU, UGANDA from January 9, 2012 – February 3, 2012.

The course is for 15 international medical students in their clinical years and 15 Ugandan medical students in their 3rd – 5th years. Apply HERE now in order to participate!

There are also an internship position available in Uganda. Send cover letters and resumes to social.medicine@yahoo.com by JULY 1st and find out more information HERE.

International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights

A ONE-YEAR course presented by the Indian Law Society in Pune, India and the World Health Organization. This is for the ACADEMIC YEAR 2011-2012.

Apply HERE by June 30, 2011. The academic year begins on October 9, 2011 in Pune, India. Students will complete full coursework with two residential sessions, academic modules, and workshops.

International Society for Health and Human Rights Conference

9th Capacity Building Workshops and Conference in Health and Human Rights in TBILISI, GEORGIA held by the International Society for Health and Human Rights (ISHHR) The conference is from October 6, 2011- October 9, 2011.

Register HERE as soon as possible. In addition to registering for the conference, the deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended until July 1, 2011.

Topics of the conference include community development, human trafficking, legal standards, clinical measures, forensic practices, data collection, disaster response, and many others.

This blog is for students, faculty, activists, physicians, residents, fellows, administrators, global health advocates, human rights enforcers, academicians, and anyone else who wants to become involved in the Health and Human Rights Program or become an advocate for health and human rights. Explore the website to find  ways to get involved, relevant readings, recent news, and upcoming events.

The Human Rights Program and Clinic provides opportunity for students, residents, fellows, faculty and staff to engage in activities related to the concept of health and human rights as well as broader aspect of human rights advocacy. Program strives to develop a model of incorporation of human rights training into medical education.” There are three main goals of this program . First, training and research opportunities are encouraged such as participating in the Human Rights Clinic. This trains “medical students and physician-in-training in evaluation, documentation and management torture survivors and asylum seekers, and preparation of medical affidavit as well as provision of care for torture survivors and asylum seekers.” Second, the program prides itself on service provision. Both medical evaluation and medical and psychological services are provided through the clinic by a variety of volunteers. Third, and the main goal of this blog, is to increase awareness of both students and the general public about health and human rights.