Understanding the major relationships between the health and human rights in the context of strategies for health and human rights of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to describe the crucial steps that have been made by PAHO and WHO in the area of human rights; and identify the current obstacles in the Americas and PAHO’s strategies for overcoming them. You will also be able to describe the new trends that are strengthening health as a human right in the Americas. Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to define the terms public health, health, and human rights; and understand the relationships between health and human rights. You will also be able to recognize the most critical human rights instruments that promote and protect the right to health and other related human rights; recognize the differences between binding and non-binding human rights instruments; and identify the international guidelines on the limitations of human rights.

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to describe the fundamental elements of the right to health, identify key articles of UN and OAS treaties that recognize the right to health, define the responsibilities of PAHO Member States and other responsible parties, and describe the different accountability mechanisms at the national and international level. Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to Identify other human rights that are most closely related to the right to health and wellbeing, and that are enshrined in binding instruments.

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to identify some of the most vulnerable groups in the Americas; understand how UN and OAS human rights instruments protect health and other related human rights in practice; understand why the enjoyment of the right to health is indispensable for the exercise of other human rights; understand why a greater fulfillment of human rights contributes to the enjoyment of health and wellbeing; and become familiar with practical applications for accomplishing the Regional Expected Results on human rights based approaches to health within PAHO’s Secretariat and at national, regional, and global levels in a manner consistent with PAHO strategic plan.

- Analyze public policies and their impact on equity; - Analyze PHC’s contribution to the reduction of inequities; - Analyze the different approaches and challenges for reducing inequities; - Identify the barriers of access to health care; - Recognize health as a right.

- Recognize the structural elements of PHC renewal based on a public health framework, as well as necessary competencies for their attainment; - Participate in a review process on the progress and challenges in the practice of PHC renewal in the national and international context; - Design an intervention proposal for PHC renewal within the scope of the participant’s workplace.

- Review the historical process and impact of PHC at the national and international levels; - Identify the new scenarios and critical factors associated with PHC renewal; - Analyze the values and principles of PHC renewal.

- Identify the central aspects that define the comprehensive PHC approach; - Analyze the integration of health services networks in each participant’s country; - Analyze the competencies of local PHC teams and the relationship with the organization of services and requirements in staff training.

- Identify the elements for managing change toward PHC renewal; - Analyze the specific attributes of PHC renewal that guide health system organization; - Examine the different strategies for quality improvement in PHC-based health systems.

Through this course, the Gender, Ethnicity and Health Office of PAHO/WHO seeks to promote an analysis of the health situation and access to services with proper attention given to differences in health indicators that reveal unfavorable circumstances faced by indigenous people, Afro-descendants, Romani people and migrants. Adopting an ethnic approach will create opportunities to redesign health program, plans and policies, with the aim to overcome unjust social conditions that affect those people within a framework that promote: social equity, social participation and respect for human rights.