For our December 5 on 5 we are highlighting human rights in healthcare and featuring resources in support of Human Rights Day on December 10th.
1.Survey on Experiences of Racism in the Manitoba Health Care System 2021. Southern Chiefs’ Organization.
“In Manitoba, the statistics are damning. Health disparities between First Nations and other Manitobans is wide and widening, resulting in lower life expectancies at birth, higher suicide attempts, and poorer access to health services, to name a few (Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, 2019). In a recent southern First Nation Health Director Forum, experiences of systemic racism were identified by southern communities.
Discussion of racism and attempts to reform First Nations’ health gave impetus to the creation of a survey to investigate the extent and type of racism being experienced and observed by participating First Nation citizens in Manitoba. This report shares the results from the SCO Survey on Racism in Health Care and summarizes a snapshot of how racism is experienced in Manitoba’s health care system. It provides examples of experiences that First Nation people have had when facing racism in health care and the range of effects that racism in health care has had on First Nation people.”
For more Anti-Racism resources from Southern Chiefs’ Organization.
2. Health and Human Rights Journal
“Health and Human Rights focuses rigorous scholarly analysis on the conceptual foundations and challenges of rights discourse and action in relation to health. The journal is dedicated to empowering new voices from the field — highlighting the innovative work of groups and individuals in direct engagement with human rights struggles as they relate to health. We seek to foster engaged scholarship and reflective activism. In doing so, we invite informed action to realize the full spectrum of human rights.” Health and Human Rights Journal is an open access publication.
3. Privacy and Security Considerations for Virtual Health Care Visits: Guidelines for the Health Sector. Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
“The delivery of virtual health care has become an integral part of Ontario’s health system. Virtual health care can include secure messaging, telephone consultation, and videoconferencing. These forms of digital communication offer significant convenience for health information custodians (custodians) and their patients where physical distance poses a challenge. However, virtual health care also raises unique privacy and security concerns because it depends on technologies, communication infrastructures, and remote environments. Virtual health care raises new kinds of cybersecurity risks that are not as prevalent in the analog world.”
4. Sexual Health, Human Rights and the Law. World Health Organization.
“Sexual health today is widely understood as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality. It encompasses not only certain aspects of reproductive health – such as being able to control one’s fertility through access to contraception and abortion, and being free from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual dysfunction and sequelae related to sexual violence or female genital mutilation – but also, the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. Indeed, it has become clear that human sexuality includes many different forms of behaviour and expression, and that the recognition of the diversity of sexual behaviour and expression contributes to people’s overall sense of well-being and health.”
5. A Human Rights Based Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Principles and Actions. The Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, it has touched all Manitobans in some way and led to innovative and unprecedented responses from governments. Extensive public health campaigns, restrictions on social interaction and freedom of movement, and economic stimulus are just a few of the steps governments have taken in response to the virus. However, protecting public health can have implications for human rights, including the right to non-discrimination, education, employment and freedom of movement and assembly.”
Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca
