Health Risks of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in Federal Custody and in US Communities.

Unaccompanied immigrant children continue to arrive at the US-Mexico border and are at high risk for ongoing abuse, neglect, and poor mental and physical health. We are medical and legal experts in the fields of immigrant and refugee health, child abuse, and the legal rights of international refugee and migrant children. We provide an overview of US federal agencies with custody of unaccompanied immigrant children, a summary of medical care provided while in custody, and recent findings from the independent Juvenile Care Monitor Report mandating new custodial conditions for immigrant children while in federal custody. We provide recommendations to improve the health and well-being of unaccompanied immigrant children while in custody and once released to US sponsors. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(3):340-346. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307570).

Gendering the Pandemic: Women's Health Disparities From a Human Rights Perspective.

As COVID-19 keeps impacting the world, its impact is felt differently by people of different sexes and genders. International guidelines and research on gender inequalities and women's rights during the pandemic have been published. However, data from Taiwan is lacking. This study aims to fill the gap to increase our knowledge regarding this issue and provide policy recommendations. This study is part of a more extensive project in response to the fourth state report concerning the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Taiwan in 2022. We have drawn on the guidelines and documents published by the United Nations human rights bodies, conducted interviews with advocacy and professional practitioners, and hosted a study group comprising students and teachers from the National Taiwan University College of Public Health to supplement the interview data. The data were analyzed thematically. The results include five themes: (1) particular health risks to carers (primarily women); (2) COVID-related measures' impact on women's health and health behaviors; (3) highly gendered psychological maladjustment; (4) increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence; and (5) mental health inequities and intersectionality. The study has global implications for societies of similar sociopolitical contexts and developmental statuses. To truly live up to the standard of CEDAW and other international human rights principles, we ask that central and local government be more aware of these lived experiences and adjust their policies accordingly, accounting for gender sensitivity.

vulnerabilidad en mujeres víctimas de trata desde un enfoque sociocrítico enfermero: Salud, Derechos Humanos y Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible / Vulnerabilidade em mulheres traficadas a partir de uma abordagem de enfermagem sócio-crítica: Saúde, Direitos Humanos e Objectivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável / Vulnerability in trafficked women from a socio-critical nursing ap- proach: Health, Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals

Trafficking of women is a serious violation of human rights. It is related to vulnerability, poverty, gender inequality, lack of education and migration processes. This global problem also highlights the noncompliance with the Sustainable Development Goals. This reality brings serious health problems to its victims, a point of interest for nursing action. Thus, this work carried out through the collaborative learning method Jigsaw in the context of an elective course of the fourth year of the Degree in Nursing, aims to critically analyze the consequences of trafficking for women's health, relating it to the violation of their human rights and the incompatibility of this international practice with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, to conclude with recommendations that can guide Nursing to provide more appropriate care from its competence as an activist in health for this group. Multiple actions aimed at the prevention, protection and care of women victims of trafficking have been identified, the conflict is generated at the time of executing them, since the neglect of these women from multiple approaches has been noted.(AU)

La trata de mujeres supone una grave violación de los derechos humanos. Está relacionada con la vulnerabilidad, la pobreza, la desigualdad de género, la desescolarización y con los procesos migratorios. En este problema global destaca además el incumplimiento de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Esta realidad acarrea graves problemas de salud a sus víctimas, punto de interés para la actuación de enfermería. Así, este trabajo realizado mediante el método de aprendizaje colaborativo Jigsaw, en el contexto de una asignatura optativa de cuarto curso del Grado en Enfermería, tiene como objetivo el análisis desde el paradigma socio crítico de las consecuencias que la trata supone para la salud de las mujeres, relacionándolo con la vulneración de sus derechos humanos y la incompatibilidad de esta práctica internacional con la consecución de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, para concluir con recomendaciones que puedan orientar a la enfermería a proporcionar cuidados más adecuados desde su competencia como activista en salud. Se han identificado múltiples acciones dirigidas a la prevención, protección y atención de las mujeres víctima de trata, el conflicto se genera a la hora de ejecutarlas, ya que se ha constatado la desatención de estas mujeres desde múltiples enfoques.(AU)

O tráfico de mulheres é uma grave violação dos direitos humanos. Está ligado à vulnerabilidade, pobreza, desigualdade de género, falta de escolaridade e processos de migração. Este problema global também realça o fracasso no cumprimento dos Objectivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Esta realidade causa graves problemas de saúde para as suas vítimas, um ponto de interesse para a acção de enfermagem. Assim, este trabalho, realizado utilizando o método de aprendizagem colaborativa Jigsaw no contexto de uma disciplina opcional no quarto ano do Bacharelato em Enfermagem, visa analisar criticamente as consequências do tráfico para a saúde das mulheres, relacionando o com a violação dos seus direitos humanos e a incompatibilidade desta prática internacional com a realização dos Objectivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, para concluir com recomendações que possam orientar a enfermagem no sentido de proporcionar cuidados mais adequados a partir da sua competência como activista de saúde para este grupo. Foram identificadas múltiplas acções que visam a prevenção, protecção e cuidados às mulheres vítimas de tráfico, o conflito surge quando se trata de as implementar, uma vez que se verificou a negligência destas mulheres em relação às múltiplas intervenções.(AU)

Salud mental / Repertorios 6. Perspectivas y debates en clave de Derechos Humanos / Mental Health / Repertoires Collection Human Rights Perspectives and Debates

Contiene: Prólogo / Horacio Pietragalla Corti; Introducción /Leonardo Gorbacz y Adelqui Del Do; Eje 1: Consecuencias psicológicas del terrorismo de Estado; Pensar el dispositivo de la crueldad: la encerrona trágica en situaciones de tortura y exclusión social / Fernando Ulloa; El método de desaparición forzada y los juicios de lesa humanidad. Diálogo entre la dimensión jurídica y la dimensión subjetiva. Especificidades del caso argentino / Mariana Wikinski, Mariana Biaggio, Rosa Matilde Díaz Jiménez y Marcelo Marmer; Salud Mental del Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS); Las dimensiones del trauma. Reflexiones desde la experiencia argentina / Julieta Calmels; Memoria y verdad. Los juicios como rito restitutivo / Fabiana Rousseaux; Historia, Memoria y Filiación: la apropiación de niños como política del terror de Estado y los procesos actuales de restitución de identidad / Alicia Stolkiner; La práctica psicoanalítica en el "Centro de atención por el derecho a la identidad de Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo" / Alicia Lo Giúdice; Anexo. Protocolo de Intervención para el Tratamiento de Víctimas­Testigos en el marco de procesos judiciales / Secretaría de Derechos Humanos; Eje 2: Salud mental, violencias y derechos humanos; Diagnósticos, fármacos y mujeres internadas en un hospital neuropsiquiátrico / Eugenia Bianchi y Macarena Sabin Paz; El acompañamiento a víctimas durante el proceso de justicia. Reflexiones desde la experiencia / Laura Sobredo; Presentación ante Comité sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad. Organización Naciones Unidas / Julieta Calmels (Ministerio de Salud de la provincia de Buenos Aires); Inimputabilidad y medidas de seguridad a la luz de los estándares del Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos / Dirección Nacional de Protección de Grupos en Situación de Vulnerabilidad, Secretaría de Derechos Humanos de la Nación; Anexo I. Derechos de personas usuarias de servicios de salud mental. Preguntas frecuentes / Dirección Nacional de Protección de Grupos en Situación de Vulnerabilidad, Secretaría de Derechos Humanos de la Nación; Anexo II. Protocolo de abordaje integral a víctimas de violencia institucional / Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)

Alpha Omega Foundation US: Striving to Improve Access to Care Worldwide.

The Alpha Omega Foundation US is the US philanthropic arm of the oldest international dental organization, the Alpha Omega International Dental Society, which has student and alumni chapters in more than 20 countries. From its beginning, the foundation has endeavored to raise funds supporting oral health programs that provide care to children and adults who lack accessibility to oral health services while training dental professionals to care for the most vulnerable populations. Today, in light of recent violence and human rights abuses that have taken place in Israel, the work of the foundation is more important than ever.

The global health and care worker compact: evidence base and policy considerations.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognising the sacrifice of health and care workers alongside discrimination, violence, poor working conditions and other violations of their rights, health and safety, in 2021 the World Health Assembly requested WHO to develop a global health and care worker compact, building on existing normative documentation, to provide guidance to 'protect health and care workers and safeguard their rights'. METHODS: A review of existing international law and other normative documents was conducted. We manually searched five main sets of international instruments: (1) International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations; (2) WHO documents; (3) United Nations (UN) human rights treaties and related documents; (4) UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and (5) the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols. We included only legal or other normative documents with a global or regional focus directly addressing or relevant to health and care workers or workers overall. RESULTS: More than 70 documents met our search criteria. Collectively, they fell into four domains, within which we identified 10 distinct areas: (1) preventing harm, encompassing (A) occupational hazards, (B) violence and harassment and (C) attacks in situations of fragility, conflict and violence; (2) inclusivity, encompassing (A) non-discrimination and equality; (3) providing support, encompassing (A) fair and equitable remuneration, (B) social protection and (C) enabling work environments and (4) safeguarding rights, encompassing (A) freedom of association and collective bargaining and (B) whistle-blower protections and freedom from retaliation. DISCUSSION: A robust legal and policy framework exists for supporting health and care workers and safeguarding their rights. Specific human rights, the right to health overall, and other binding and non-binding legal documents provide firm grounding for the compact.However, these existing commitments are not being fully met. Implementing the compact will require more effective governance mechanisms and new policies, in partnership with health and care workers themselves.

The resource team: A case study of a solitary confinement reform in Oregon.

The continued use of solitary confinement has sparked international public health and human rights criticisms and concerns. This carceral practice has been linked repeatedly to a range of serious psychological harms among incarcerated persons. Vulnerabilities to harm are especially dire for persons with preexisting serious mental illness ("SMI"), a group that is overrepresented in solitary confinement units. Although there have been numerous calls for the practice to be significantly reformed, curtailed, and ended altogether, few strategies exist to minimize its use for people with SMI and histories of violence against themselves or others. This case study describes the "Oregon Resource Team" (ORT), a pilot project adapted from a Norwegian officer-led, interdisciplinary team-based approach to reduce isolation and improve outcomes for incarcerated persons with SMI and histories of trauma, self-injury, and violence against others. We describe the ORT's innovative approach, the characteristics and experiences of incarcerated people who participated in it, its reported impact on the behavior, health, and well-being of incarcerated persons and correctional staff, and ways to optimize its effectiveness and expand its use.

Bioprecariedad. El poder de las patentes y su impacto en la salud pública / Bioprecarietat. El poder de les patents i el seu impact en la salut pública / Bioprecariousness. The power of patents and their impact on Public Health

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar el poder de las patentes y su papel en la confrontación actual entre el derecho a la salud (pública) y los derechos a la propiedad intelectual (patentes), ambos reconocidos por la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos. Este poder se basa en el control monopolístico de material biológico mediante las patentes biotecnológicas o “patentes de lavida”. La Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas define las patentes como “un título que reconoce el derecho de explotar en exclusiva una invención, impidiendo a otros su fabricación, venta o utilización sin consentimiento del titular”. Este monopolio permite establecer precios elevados a los productos patentados, condenando a miles de personas a lo que denominamos “bioprecariedad” entendida como la violencia estructural contra la vida por la falta de acceso a productos patentados básicos para la supervivencia (vacunas, semillas, medicamentos, tratamientos o kits de diagnóstico). En el escenario de la pandemia del Covid-19, la Bioprecariedad ha sido la protagonista, especialmente en el desigual reparto de las vacunas entre países ricos y países pobres. Nuestra propuesta es crear un marco normativo y comités de ética de patentes que sirva para poner límites éticos a las patentes según los criterios de responsabilidad y cautela; justicia global; y capacidades y desarrollo humano.(AU)

L'objectiu del present article és analitzar el poder de les patents i el seu paper en la confrontació actual entre el dret a la salut (pública) i els drets a la propietat intel·lectual (patents), tots dos reconeguts per la Declaració Universal de Drets Humans. Aquest poder es basa en el control monopolístic de material biològic mitjançant les patents biotecnològiques conegudes com “patents de la vida”. L'Oficina Espanyola de Patents i Marques defineix les patents com “un títol que reconeix el dret d'explotar en exclusiva una invenció, impedint a altres la seva fabricació, venda o utilització sense consentiment del titular”. Aquest monopoli permet establir preus molt elevats,condemnant a milers de persones al que denominem “Bioprecarietat” entesa com a violència estructural contra la vida per la manca d'accés a productes patentats bàsics per a la supervivència (vacunes, llavors, medicaments, tractaments o kits de diagnòstic).En l'escenari de la pandèmia del Covid-19, la Bioprecarietat ha estat protagonista, especialment en el desigual repartiment de les vacunes entre països rics i pobres. La nostra proposta és crear un marc normatiu i comitès d'ètica de patents que serveixin per a posar límits ètics a les patents segons els criteris de responsabilitat i cautela; justícia global; i capacitats i desenvolupament humà.(AU)

This article is focused on the analysis of the power of patents and their role in the current confrontation between the right to (public) health and the right to Intellectual property (patents), which are both human rights recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This power is based on the monopoly controlling life (biological material) by means of biotechnological patents or “patents of life”. The Spanish Patent and Trademark Office defines a patent as “a title recognising the right to exclusively exploit aninvention, preventing third parties from manufacturing, selling or using it without prior consent of the owner”. This monopoly involves high prices for patented products, which condemns thousands of people to what we call “bioprecariousness” defined as structural violence against life due to the lack of access to basic patented products (vaccines, seeds, medicines, treatments and tests). Bioprecariousness has also been present in the Covid-19 pandemic, given that there has been an unequal distribution of vaccines between rich and poor countries. We propose a new ethical framework and ethical patent committees aimed at setting ethical limits to patents according to the criteria of responsibility and caution; global justice, and capabilities and human development.(AU)

FEATURES OF EXERCISING THE RIGHTS OF PATIENTS TO MEDICAL TREATMENT IN WARTIME CONDITIONS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: Study of Ukraine's international obligations in the field of access to medical treatment and analysis of Ukrainian legislation in respect of exercising the rights of patients to medical treatment in the conditions of Russia's war against Ukraine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The analysis of regulatory legal acts of Ukraine and international standards was carried out using the comparative method. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The health care system of Ukraine has shown its effectiveness and focus on the protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as a vector for the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the EU in the field of health care.

Renewing our commitment to protect children experiencing armed conflict.

Civilian casualties from armed conflicts have increased, such that 90% of deaths from armed conflicts in the first decade of the 21st century have been civilians, a significant number of whom are children. The acute and chronic effects of armed conflict on child health and well-being are among the most significant children's rights violations of the 21st century. Children are increasingly exposed to armed conflict and targeted by governmental and non-governmental combatants. Despite International Human Rights and Humanitarian laws and multiple international declarations, conventions, treaties and courts, injury and death of children due to armed conflicts have worsened over the decades. It is critically important that a concerted effort be undertaken to address and rectify this issue. Toward this end, the Internal Society of Social Pediatrics and Chid Health (ISSOP) and others have called for a renewed commitment to children experiencing armed conflict with an immediate call to implement a new UN Humanitarian Response on Child Casualties in Armed Conflict.

Gendered genital modifications in critical anthropology: from discourses on FGM/C to new technologies in the sex/gender system.

Since the late 19th century, genital modifications (female and male) have been an important research subject in anthropology. According to a comparative and constructivist perspective, they were first interpreted as rites of passage, then as rites of institutions. In a complex dialogue with feminist movements, 20th-century scholars recognised that the cultural meanings of these modifications are multiple and changing in time and space. Conversely, according to WHO, since the 1950s, Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) has been considered a form of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Interpreted as VAWG, FGM/C has progressively been isolated from its complementary male rite, selected for special condemnation, and banned. An order of discourse has been built by WHO and other international organisations. This article provides a genealogic deconstruction of the order of discourse lexicon, highlighting dislocations between anthropology and the human rights agenda. Today, genital modifications encompass FGM/C, male circumcision, clitoral reconstruction after FGM/C, gender reassignment surgery, and intersex and 'cosmetic' genital surgery. I propose to call these procedures Gendered Genital Modifications (GGMo). GGMo implicates public health, well-being, potential harm, sexuality, moral and social norms, gender empowerment, gender violence, and prohibitive and permissive policies and laws. The selective production of knowledge on FGM/C has reinforced the social and political polarisation between practices labelled as barbaric and others considered modern, accessible, and empowering. I suggest an anthropological interpretation for the socio-cultural meanings of health, sexuality, purity and beauty. I propose future interdisciplinary studies of how consent, bodily integrity and personal autonomy bear on concepts of agency and subjectivity in the sex/gender system.

# Me Too: Global Progress in Tackling Continued Custodial Violence Against Women: The 10-Year Anniversary of the Bangkok Rules.

On any given day, almost 11 million people globally are deprived of their liberty. In 2020, the global female population was estimated to be 741,000, an increase of 105,000 since 2010. In order to investigate progress in the adoption of the Bangkok Rules since 2010, we conducted a legal realist assessment based on a global scoping exercise of empirical research and United Nations (UN) reporting, using detailed MESH terms across university and UN databases. We found evidences in 91 documents which directly relate to violations of the Bangkok Rules in 55 countries. By developing a realist account, we document the precarious situation of incarcerated women and continued evidence of systemic failures to protect them from custodial violence and other gender-sensitive human rights breaches worldwide. Despite prison violence constituting a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, very little research (from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia) has been conducted on custodial violence against women since 2010. Although standards of detention itself is a focus of UN universal periodic review, special procedures (violence against women) and concluding observations by the UN committees, very few explicitly mentioned women, and the implications of violence against them while incarcerated. We highlight three central aspects that hinder the full implementation of the Bangkok Rules; the past decade of a continued invisible nature of women as prisoners in the system; the continued legitimization, normalization, and trivialization of violence under the pretext of security within their daily lives; and the unawareness and disregard of international (Bangkok and others) rules.

Health and safety concerns of female asylum seekers living in an informal migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Whilst increased numbers of people worldwide exercise their human right to seek asylum, the US has greatly reduced the number of asylum seekers able to enter its southern border, resulting in informal encampments. Women and children are uniquely vulnerable to violence and other health risks. AIM: To describe the health and safety concerns of female asylum seekers living in an informal migrant camp, with a particular focus on the risks of violence against women and children. METHODS: For this qualitative descriptive study, female asylum seekers were purposively recruited in an informal tent encampment in Matamoros, Mexico (n = 43). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in January and February 2020. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The themes identified were constant vigilance, the effects of constant vigilance, lack of resources, and uncertainty. Women's unrelenting fears about their own safety and that of their children impacted their ability to access the camp's meagre resources and exacerbated negative effects on women and children. CONCLUSION: Applying established guidelines and best practices for health and safety in humanitarian settings could mitigate threats to women and children. Additionally, camp conditions represent human rights violations. Nurses have an ethical duty to advocate for an end to the US policies creating and maintaining this humanitarian crisis. IMPACT: As a result of changes to the United States immigration policy, individuals seeking asylum at the Southern border of the US have been largely prevented from entering the US since early 2018. Asylum seekers living in an informal encampment on the border awaiting entry describe a public health, humanitarian and human rights crisis. Women in this already vulnerable group lacked necessities, such as housing, food security, potable water, protection against gender violence and other forms of physical threats to themselves and their children. This created a heightened sense of vigilance and fear, with implications for their mental health and well-being and that of their children. These findings highlight the need for governmental and international organizations to implement the best health and safety practices for humanitarian settings to ensure equity in relation to the social determinants of health. Nurses have an ethical obligation to be strong human rights advocates. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS: One member of the research team has extensive experience as an advocate for recently immigrated women experiencing intimate partner violence. The study procedures were reviewed with advocates providing direct services to migrant women and children.

A Scoping Review on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Medicolegal Service Provision in East Africa.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a leading cause of physical, emotional, and psychosocial problems around the world, with many countries in East Africa having rates above the global average. Despite the high prevalence in the region, service provision for post-SGBV care is often poorly funded, difficult to access, or simply nonexistent. This review reports the findings of a scoping review of literature from East Africa. The goals of this research were to evaluate existing service provision practices throughout the region, understand how provider bias may affect service provision, and compare existing practices to national policies and internationally agreed human rights treaties. This review identified 54 academic papers and reports through a search of electronic databases and grey literature sources, and four main themes emerged: (1) current models of service provision are inadequate to address the medical and psychosocial needs of survivors; (2) countries are not providing sufficient funding for services; (3) further research is needed into how to incorporate SGBV care into existing health systems and align with international human rights treaties; and (4) there is limited research in many countries in East Africa. The findings are likely to be of use to policy makers, nongovernmental organizations, and service providers working in the medical, legal, and justice systems.

Medical Care for Newly Arrived Displaced Persons.

Medical Care for Displaced PersonsThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that more than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations. Displacement has profound health impacts. Here, Jain and colleagues review medical care for newly displaced persons.