Ref: 29/2019
On Thursday, 20 June 2019, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded the first training course within the series of courses relevant to human rights and the mechanisms to promote the right to health with the participation of 25 participants from health service providers in the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in the Gaza Strip.
These training courses are part of a project to promote, respect and fulfill the right to the highest attainable standard of health in the Gaza Strip. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and continues for 3 years in partnership with the PMRS. The project aims to improve access to health care services, legal counseling and legal assistance for a number of Palestinian patients; to mainstream the international human rights and humanitarian law, particularly the right to health, by building the capacities of national and international NGOs working in the health sector; and to promote improved monitoring, documenting and reporting of violations of the right to health. It should be noted that 8 training courses will be held during this year targeting 200 members of the medical personnel and activists in the Gaza Strip.
The training course program addressed several topics that meet the needs of the targeted group relevant to human rights as it includes the following: the International Bill of Human Rights and its 3 components; right to health-based approach; right to health in the international human rights law and international humanitarian law; Palestine’s obligations to realize the right to health; tort liability resulting from medical errors and medical negligence and its impact on the right to health; gender-based justice when exercising the right to health; World Health Organization (WHO) and its role in promoting the right to health; Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the mechanisms to promote the freedom of movement and right to health (PCHR as an example; the measures to monitor and document violations of the right to health and legal follow-up mechanism.
It should be noted that these training courses are part of PCHR’s long-term efforts to develop and disseminate the culture of human rights into the health policy and programs and among those working in the health sector by building their capacities, improving their theoretical knowledge; and providing them practical skills to promote the right to health and improve the access to the highest attainable standard of health in the Gaza Strip. All of this is achieved through the training courses, which contribute to making a real change to the individual’s behavior in the society for the promotion, respect, and protection of human rights, particularly the right to health, in addition to enhancing active individual participation in society.
