For the Terminally Ill, Freedom from Pain Is a Human Right
Paul Silva
May 24, 2011
 BLOG    VIDEO  
Palliative care has made impressive strides in the medical community. But now we must ensure that governments see palliative care, particularly the relief of suffering, as a basic human right for all people.

Why We Need Innovations in Empathy, Not Just Technology, in Health Care
Mary Joyce
May 24, 2011
 BLOG  
Sometimes the source of a health innovation may not be an improvement in technology, but rather an improvement in empathy, in which health technologists find a better way to understand the patient.

Palliative Care as a Human Right: A Fact Sheet
May 2011
This fact sheet by the Open Society Public Health Program discusses palliative care as a basic human right. This holistic approach to care is denied to millions of people worldwide. The fact sheet offers recommendations for governments to promote, protect, and ensure access to palliative care.

Shut Down Abusive Drug Detention Centers
Sarah Evans
May 18, 2011
 BLOG  
Governments across the globe increasingly detain people who use drugs against their will in the name of rehabilitation. Two prominent medical organizations are condemning this practice, calling for drug detention facilities to be closed immediately.

Canada's Supervised Injection Site Isn't a Legal Matter
Sarah Evans
May 17, 2011
 BLOG  
Canada's top court heard arguments last week in a case about the future of Insite, North America's first safe-injection site. But the case should never have gone to court.

Call for Applications: Public Policy Executive Course on Mental Health Reform in Central and Eastern Europe
April 11, 2011
The Open Society Public Health Program and the Central European University Public Policy Executive Programs are seeking applications for an expert-level course designed to help bring reform for people with mental disabilities.

BALKA: Women, HIV, and Drug Use in Ukraine
OSI-New York
February 24, 2011
 VIDEO  
This screening and discussion looks at BALKA: Three Stories, a film that chronicles the lives of women struggling with drug use and HIV in Ukraine.

Sex Worker Activists Increase Visibility at the 22nd Annual International Harm Reduction Conference
February 24, 2011
The Open Society Public Health Program is supporting efforts to increase the presence and diversity of sex workers’ voices at the International Harm Reduction Association conference in Beirut, Lebanon.

Community of Learning Brings Sex Workers’ Rights Advocates Together to Share Tactics and Tools
February 22, 2011
A coalition of sex workers' rights organizations have launched a user-driven web forum designed for advocates to share experiences, documentation tools, advocacy strategies, and ideas for joint action. The Open Society Public Health Program supported development of the web forum, www.sexworkersrights.org.

Global Commission on HIV and the Law Begins Regional Discussion in Asia-Pacific Region
February 16, 2011
As part of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, the United Nations Development Program will host a two-day regional dialogue to bring together civil society, policy experts, and governmental officials to discuss the impact of law on the response to HIV in Asia and the Pacific.