Human rights education: an international law approach for ethical and humanized medical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Medical training faces the challenge of integrating ethical and humanitarian principles that guarantee care centered on respect for patient dignity (Naciones Unidas, 1948). International human rights law provides a solid normative framework to guide medical education toward a more just, equitable, and humanized practice (Naciones Unidas, 1966) (Comisión Internacional de Juristas, 1984). Objective: To analyze the importance of including human rights education, from an international law perspective, in medical training programs, in order to strengthen ethical and human-centered practice. Methodology: A narrative review of scientific literature, international normative documents, and health education policies was conducted (Comité de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales, 2000) (Farmer, 2003).

Results: Three key themes were identified: (Naciones Unidas, 1948) the right to health as part of international law (UNESCO, 2012); (Naciones Unidas, 1966) the need for human rights-based medical training (Gruskin et al., 2010) (London, 2008); and (Comisión Internacional de Juristas, 1984) the positive impact of this education on clinical ethics, professional empathy, and equity in care (Mann et al., 1994). Conclusion: Human rights education based on international law is essential to train health professionals capable of practicing ethical, critical medicine committed to human dignity (Organización Mundial de la Salud, 2016).