Ref: 28/2023
Date: 29 May 2023
On Sunday, 28 May 2023, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded 10 awareness sessions on “Right to Health Under International Law”, targeting 212 students (63% were females) from several majors such as medicine, law and media at 5 Palestinian universities, including Al-Azhar University, the Islamic University, Al-Israa University, Gaza University, and Al-Aqsa University.
The awareness sessions aimed at raising students’ awareness on right to health concepts and elements and the responsibilities of the Israeli occupation authorities and the Ministry of Health regarding Palestinians’ health rights and introducing them to the key international treaties and Palestinian legislations that have ensured the right to health as a fundamental human right. In addition, those sessions promoted the concept of the inclusive right to health, and ensured social determinants of health, including clean and potable water, sanitation, sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food, adequate housing, occupational and environmental health, means of health education, and appropriate health information.
These sessions come as part of PCHR’s efforts to promote the right to health for the Gaza Strip residents, who have suffered from serious deterioration of health conditions due to 16 years of unjust Israeli closure and the Palestinian internal division and the entailing chronic shortage in the essential drugs list, modern medical devices and specialized medical personnel in addition to the obstacles to the travel of patients referred for treatment abroad.
These sessions were held under the “Promote, Respect and Fulfill the Right to Health in the Gaza Strip” implemented by PCHR and funded by the Federal Foreign Office – Human Rights Program.