The course is structured in three modules: The first module will introduce students to international law, human rights and the right to health. It will explore the theory behind the relationship between health and human rights, and whether human rights complement or impinge on public and global health concerns with remediating inequity and marginalization and achieving social justice. It will overview the international human rights law system, including relevant international human rights law treaties and committees, focusing on the right to health. It will examine core principles and categories of human rights, including the idea of indivisibility.
The second module will turn to explore mechanisms for realizing the right to health, including international procedures, domestic litigation, advocacy and rights-based health policy, programming and evaluation. It will explore critiques of international law and human rights, including its relevance to global and public health. It will consider the role of public health professionals in promoting health and human rights, and the relevance of the human rights framework to public and global health practice in Canada. Students will then apply these principles and mechanisms in a role-play exercise simulating an international human rights law process.
The third module will investigate global health and human rights case-studies, including globalization and access to medicines, the social determinants of health (focussing on the right to water), disability and global mental health sexual and reproductive health rights and maternal mortality.
