Health and Human Rights Education: A mechanism for HIV/AIDS advocacy skill development Saranya Kurapati, MS III, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine Katie Ratzan, MS IV, Dartmouth Medical School

Physicians for Human Rights Mission Statement: Physicians for Human Rights mobilizes health professionals to advance health, dignity, and justice and promotes the right to health for all . Harnessing the specialized skills, rigor, and passion of doctors, nurses, public health specialists, and scientists, PHR investigates human rights abuses and works to stop them .

Mission Statement:

Physicians for Human Rights mobilizes health professionals to advance health, dignity, and justice and promotes the right to health for all . Harnessing the specialized skills, rigor, and passion of doctors, nurses, public health specialists, and scientists, PHR investigates human rights abuses and works to stop them .

Why are we on this panel? Role of NGOs in the provision of healthcare in IDP camps in Khartoum Reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda: the role of Kigali Memorial Center Untangling HIV services after a civil war: the case of Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire

Role of NGOs in the provision of healthcare in IDP camps in Khartoum

Reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda: the role of Kigali Memorial Center

Untangling HIV services after a civil war: the case of Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire

Current Status of HHR Education in Medical & Public Health Schools Cross-sectional survey sent to all deans of accredited allopathic SOMs & SPHs - 71% responded 37% of respondents offer some sort HHR education with higher rates in SPH vs. SOMs & higher rates in private vs. public institutions 35% of deans in schools not offering HHR education would like to do so Most important factor associated with offering a class or including HHR in another related class is the dean’s attitude toward the importance of HHR Most cited barrier to including this type of education was lack of time in student’s already-full schedules, then funding such classes Research by Cotter, Chevrier et al., 2009

Cross-sectional survey sent to all deans of accredited allopathic SOMs & SPHs - 71% responded

37% of respondents offer some sort HHR education with higher rates in SPH vs. SOMs & higher rates in private vs. public institutions

35% of deans in schools not offering HHR education would like to do so

Most important factor associated with offering a class or including HHR in another related class is the dean’s attitude toward the importance of HHR

Most cited barrier to including this type of education was lack of time in student’s already-full schedules, then funding such classes

PHR’s Health and Human Rights Education Project Four components: Curriculum change and elective formation Supplementary educational programming (conferences, symposia, etc.) Self-education through online resources Syllabi, articles, slideshows, video HHR teaching

Four components:

Curriculum change and elective formation

Supplementary educational programming (conferences, symposia, etc.)

Self-education through online resources

Syllabi, articles, slideshows, video

HHR teaching

Year One Specifically looked at effect of HHR Ed project on HIV/AIDS advocacy Eight PHR student chapters involved Most created electives One created a health & human rights library within its medical school library One created an office related to global health and human rights

Specifically looked at effect of HHR Ed project on HIV/AIDS advocacy

Eight PHR student chapters involved

Most created electives

One created a health & human rights library within its medical school library

One created an office related to global health and human rights

Results? Schools that created or were in the process of creating HHR electives averaged 5.8 HIV/AIDS advocacy initiatives/year compared to the 58 schools without an elective that averaged 3.9/year Almost 2/3 greater involvement in direct HIV/AIDS advocacy in those schools with HHR electives In addition, chapters with electives reported enhanced student engagement and greater knowledge of human rights issues among their peers

Schools that created or were in the process of creating HHR electives averaged 5.8 HIV/AIDS advocacy initiatives/year compared to the 58 schools without an elective that averaged 3.9/year

Almost 2/3 greater involvement in direct HIV/AIDS advocacy in those schools with HHR electives

In addition, chapters with electives reported enhanced student engagement and greater knowledge of human rights issues among their peers

Push for more student-initiated HHR electives at health professional schools AND Push for formal incorporation into required curricula of health professional schools by… Establishing HHR competency requirement Educate deans about the importance of HHR Ed Create centers of excellence of HHR at medical schools and schools of public health Develop HHR divisions within already established medical departments Create a HHR Grand Rounds program Next Steps

Push for more student-initiated HHR electives at health professional schools AND

Push for formal incorporation into required curricula of health professional schools by…

Establishing HHR competency requirement

Educate deans about the importance of HHR Ed

Create centers of excellence of HHR at medical schools and schools of public health

Develop HHR divisions within already established medical departments

Create a HHR Grand Rounds program

For more information… www.phrusa.org/students/hhr-ed/

www.phrusa.org/students/hhr-ed/

References Cotter E, Chevrier J, El-Nachef W, Radhakrishna R, Rahangdale L, Weiser S, Iacopino V (2009) Health and Human Rights Education in U.S. Schools of Medicine and Public Health: Current Status and Future Challenges. PLoS ONE. 2009;4(3):e4916. Epub 2009 Mar 18. Personal communication with Danielle Fox, Student Program Coordinator, and Sarah Kalloch, Outreach and Constituency Organizing Director, Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, MA Witzler P, Khan AM , Chida N, Fox D, Reeves N. H e ath and human rights education as a mechanism for HIV/AIDS advocacy skill development. Abstract presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference. Mexico City. 4 August 2008. Sud S, Ratzan K, Khan A, Gavin N, Reeves N, Kurapati S, Chida N (2009) Incorporating Human Rights Training into Medical Education: Reaffirming the Physician’s Role as Patient Advocate. Harvard Health Policy Review, to be published in Spring 2009 issue

Cotter E, Chevrier J, El-Nachef W, Radhakrishna R, Rahangdale L, Weiser S, Iacopino V (2009) Health and Human Rights Education in U.S. Schools of Medicine and Public Health: Current Status and Future Challenges. PLoS ONE. 2009;4(3):e4916. Epub 2009 Mar 18.

Personal communication with Danielle Fox, Student Program Coordinator, and Sarah Kalloch, Outreach and Constituency Organizing Director, Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, MA

Witzler P, Khan AM , Chida N, Fox D, Reeves N. H e ath and human rights education as a mechanism for HIV/AIDS advocacy skill development. Abstract presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference. Mexico City. 4 August 2008.

Sud S, Ratzan K, Khan A, Gavin N, Reeves N, Kurapati S, Chida N (2009) Incorporating Human Rights Training into Medical Education: Reaffirming the Physician’s Role as Patient Advocate. Harvard Health Policy Review, to be published in Spring 2009 issue