KROC 590 Health & Human Rights (2 units)(Keehn; Summer 2021)

This seminar examines the intersection of human rights and public health exploring three core areas: 1) the impact of health laws, policies and programs on human rights; 2) the relationship between human rights violations and health impacts; and 3) the interdependent relationship between the promotion and protection of human rights and health. The course draws on the international human rights framework, as well as rights frameworks at regional and country level. As an interdisciplinary subject, the course also draws on readings from bioethics, medical anthropology, moral philosophy, and other modes of inquiry. 

The course starts with theoretical grounding, then shifts to case and topic-based exploration of how theory intersects with practice. Topics span HIV and sexual health; communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, ebola, and cholera; gender and race; the challenges of criminalized populations, emerging topics such as physician aid-in-dying; and public health emergencies including COVID-19. Issues are examined from the international, national, and local perspective, including the United States. Throughout the course, students will critically engage with the role of NGOs and analyze contemporary advocacy efforts in the health and human rights arena.