Lottie Lane & Yi Zhang
GHLG presents empirical evidence on access to medicines at international norms & domestic law-making @ University of Basel workshop
On September 4th, our pilot results from the Essential Laws for Medicines Access project were presented at the workshop‘International Law and Domestic Law Making Process’ at the University of Basel. This invited presentation contributed empirical evidence about the introduction of access to medicines in domestic law as part of the international norm, the right to health, to the broader discussion about which factors determine the relationship between international and domestic law and whether governments have sufficient leeway in deciding how to implement their international commitments.
Our preliminary findings show that only two countries in our sample take a rights-based approach to universal access in domestic law. Future research will elaborate on these results to understand what factors led governments to make these commitments and what has resulted from them. (See our open call for research assistance)
Dr. Ioana Cismas (Stirling Law School, Scotland) chaired our discussion about this and other evidence from the democratic legitimation of trade agreements in Switzerland, presented by Dr. Charlotte Sieber-Gasser (World Trade Institute & Graduate Institute), and the use of flexibility mechanisms in human rights treaties, presented by Gentiana Imeri (University of St. Gallen). The workshop was graciously organised by Dr. Evelyne Schmid and Dr. Tilmann Altwicker in collaboration with the AjV (Arbeitskreis junger Volkerrechtswissenschaftler*innen). The workshop programme is available here.
‘Egypt’s battle to end female genital mutilation’
Egypt is still struggling to prevent the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), which 90% of women under the age of 50 have had to suffer. The practice was banned in 2008, but FGM, seen as a way of purifying young girls (usually between 9 and 12 years old), is still widespread. Both the United Nations and human rights organisations have expressed concerns that the practice violates the prohibition of torture, the right to health, and sometimes the right to life. In January 2015, a doctor was jailed after a 13 year old girl died as a result of him conducting the procedure. This was the first time that the 2008 law was successfully implemented, and is hoped to discourage other doctors from performing FGM (see news report here).
US Chamber of Commerce involvement in tobacco companies oversees
A recent NY Times investigative report, and a report entitled “Blowing Smoke for Big Tobacco,” documented how the US Chamber of Commerce has defended the interests of tobacco companies overseas. Read more on the blog ‘Health Care Renewal’ at http://hcrenewal.blogspot.nl/2015/08/with-10-health-care-executives-on-it.html
Global increase in Caesarian sections
The Economist of August 15th 2015 reports that globally, Caesarian sections (delivery of a baby through an incision in the abdomen) are on the rise. The most extreme example is Brazil, where in 2013 57% of births were by Caesarian section. In Brazil’s private health-care system more specifically, nearly nine in ten babies were born by Caesarian section. While Caesarian sections are a solution in some cases, in many situations they are unnecessary. From a reproductive health rights perspective we may ask: what does it mean for women? They may cause complications such as haemorrhage and infection. And a large Canadian study found that otherwise healthy women were three times more at risk to experience emergencies such as shock and cardiac arrest, while it may also increase the chance of problems in future pregnancies. Research in Denmark demonstrates that there are also health risks involved for children born by Caesarian. On top of all this, a Caesarian is a costly intervention that puts a strain on the health budget. All in all, from a health rights & governance perspective Caesarians should probably remain the exception rather than become the norm. Read more in the Economist of August 15th on pp. 53-54 at http://www.economist.com/printedition/2015-08-15
‘Amid rubble, Rio residents fight Olympics evictions’
Mass protests in Brazil drew attention to the violation of the right to housing of many Brazilians during the preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, locals have been facing a similar situation, being forced out of their homes to make way for the development of (among other things) roads allowing access to the Olympic Village. Although some lucky residents have managed to sell their properties, others have been forcibly evicted with no compensation, inviting heavy criticism from human rights groups such as Amnesty International (see full article here).
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