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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Center for Public Health and Human Rights

Center for Public Health and Human Rights

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The Center for Public Health and Human Rights

The Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health seeks to advance fundamental human rights through research, teaching and advocacy.

Based in the School's Department of Epidemiology and headed by Epidemiology professor Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, the Center's access to the vast expertise at Johns Hopkins is a vital part of our efforts in doing the analytic and development work this emerging field requires.

While many agencies and groups are active in the field of health and human rights, the Center takes a population-based approach in its work. Our research focuses on quantitative measures of human rights impacts and, increasingly, on public health intervention research grounded in human rights principles.

These diverse efforts share common ground—the use of science to support individuals and communities facing threats to health that are directly related to abrogation of their rights.

Making an Impact

Using vital data from our studies in Thailand, Russia, and several African countries, CPHHR has been working to advocate for the rights of various groups who have been discriminated against or excluded from public health surveillance and programs.  Follow the link below to learn more about the CPHHR's recent research and advocacy work.

Follow the links above to learn more about the Center or go to our Resources link to read our publications or read articles about our work.





In the News...

Center News:

Mann Prize Award 2009 Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) is the recipient of the 2009 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights.  Dr. Gwatidzo assisted PHR and Dr. Beyrer with their December 2008 investigation in Zimbabwe that lead to the report, Health in Ruins: A Man-Made Disaster in ZimbabweRead

Burma after Nargis: Prof. Sean Turnell documents the current environment in Burma after Nargis and presents the challenges faced by organizations operating there and especially for those, such as EAT and CPHHR, which document human rights abuses. (12 May 09) Read 
EAT and CPHHR response to INGOs on post-cyclone humanitarian assistance and human rights in Burma (19 April 09) Read

Just released! Dr. Baral's research on HIV prevalence, risks, and human rights among men who have sex with men in Malawi, Namibia, and Botswana. Read
After the Storm: Voices from the Delta The joint report by EAT-Burma and CPHHR was just released on February 27, 2009, in Bangkok.  The only independent, community-based assessment documents the human rights violations that occurred in Burma during the response to Cyclone Nargis and continue today.  Full Report  Executive Summary  Go to our Burma Cyclone Response page to learn more.

Health Crisis in Zimbabwe Dr. Beyrer and colleagues from Physicians for Human Rights recently traveled to Zimbabwe to conduct an assessment of the current health crisis in Zimbabwe. The report, Health in Ruins: A Man-Made Disaster in Zimbabwe, was released on January 13 in South Africa and New York. Go to our special Zimbabwe update page for updated information.  Read the recent NPR interview with Dr. Beyrer or listen to the interview.

Take Action: Contact your state representative to urge US support for a UN Security Council commission of inquiry into human rights abuses committed in Burma.  Follow the link to learn more on how to contact your representative and other ways to help.  Action!

World News:
Burma One year after the cyclone, repression continues, 21 community aid workers remain imprisoned.  Read HRW Report
Senegal 9 HIV outreach workers convicted and jailed for homosexuality are released. Read IAS Statement on release (23 April 09) Read
Russia The International AIDS Society issues statement that the Russian Government's denial of harm reduction is fueling the HIV epidemic. Read

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