Ref: 33/2019

On Thursday, 18 July 2019, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded two new training courses within 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 implemented by PCHR in partnership with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS).

These 20-hour training courses were organized in cooperation with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and students of Dentistry and Medical Sciences. The courses were held from 03 to 18 July 2019 with the participation of 54 students of Medicine, Dentistry and Applied Medical Sciences at al-Azhar and Islamic Universities in Gaza.

This 3-year project aims to improve access to healthcare service, legal counseling and legal assistance for a number of Palestinian patients; to mainstream the culture of 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 a total of 8 training courses will be held during this year targeting 200 members of the medical personnel and activists in the Gaza Strip, 4 of which were already carried out with the participation of 100 trainees, including 54 females..

The training course program addressed several topics tailored to the needs of the targeted group relevant to human rights including the following: introduction to Human Rights, the International Bill of Human Rights and its 3 components; 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; women’s and children’s rights from the perspective of 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.