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Human Rights Day 2017

Human Rights Day GIFSince 1950, Human Rights Day has been observed annually on December 10th. Commemorating the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, December 10th serves as a reminder that we are all entitled to the most basic freedoms.

This year’s Human Rights Day is devoted to the launch of a year-long campaign for the 50th anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966.

BMC is doing its bit to stand up for equality in human rights by presenting you a selection of highly important and influential research. The dissemination of this open access material is vital in leading the fight against discrimination.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

BMC International Health and Human Rights is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in relation to health and disease in developing and transitional countries, as well as all issues relating to the impact of health policies, programs and practices on human rights.

Transgender women in Malaysia, in the context of HIV and Islam: a qualitative study of stakeholders’ perceptions

Human rights and mental health in post-apartheid South Africa: lessons from health care professionals working with suicidal inmates in the prison system

Conflict and Health

Conflict and Health brings together essential research on the intertwined relationship between health and conflict. Millions of people around the world are caught between the vicious spiral of violent conflict and poor health. The journal focuses on the intricate relationship between conflict and health, and how health interventions in war zones may contribute to peace.

Ethical considerations for children’s participation in data collection activities during humanitarian emergencies: A Delphi review

A crisis of protection and safe passage: violence experienced by migrants/refugees travelling along the Western Balkan corridor to Northern Europe

A comprehensive review of HIV/STI prevention and sexual and reproductive health services among sex Workers in Conflict-Affected Settings: call for an evidence- and rights-based approach in the humanitarian response

International Journal for Equity in Health

International Journal for Equity in Health presents evidence relevant to the search for, and attainment of, equity in health across and within countries. International Journal for Equity in Health publishes research which improves the understanding of issues that influence the health of populations. This includes the discussion of political, policy-related, economic, social and health services-related influences, particularly with regard to systematic differences in distributions of one or more aspects of health in population groups defined demographically, geographically, or socially.

Multifactorial discrimination as a fundamental cause of mental health inequities

The effects of neoliberal policies on access to healthcare for people with disabilities

Healthcare access for refugee women with limited literacy: layers of disadvantage

The right to health of non-nationals and displaced persons in the sustainable development goals era: challenges for equity in universal health care

Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health focuses on all aspects of human reproduction. The journal includes sections dedicated to adolescent health, female fertility and midwifery and all content is open access. Reproductive health is defined as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system, at all stages of life.

Obstetric care navigation: a new approach to promote respectful maternity care and overcome barriers to safe motherhood

It does matter where you come from: mothers’ experiences of childbirth in midwife obstetric units, Tshwane, South Africa

Gender equality and human rights approaches to female genital mutilation: a review of international human rights norms and standards

Public Health Reviews

Public Health Reviews is the official journal of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER). It is a multi-disciplinary journal dedicated to publishing topics of current importance to public health. The journal promotes public health knowledge and best practices, placing a special emphasis on the integration of state of the art information and translational issues, interdisciplinary approaches, innovations, and emerging public health concerns.

Human rights and the practice of medicine

International financial institutions and human rights: implications for public health

A human rights approach to the health implications of food and nutrition insecurity

Globalization and Health

Globalization and Health is a pioneering and transdisciplinary journal that situates public health and wellbeing within the dynamic forces of global development; publishing high quality original research and debate on globalization and its effects on public health, both positive and negative.

“I cry every day and night, I have my son tied in chains”: physical restraint of people with schizophrenia in community settings in Ethiopia

Learning from returnee Ethiopian migrant domestic workers: a qualitative assessment to reduce the risk of human trafficking

The (Mis)appropriation of HIV/AIDS advocacy strategies in Global Mental Health: towards a more nuanced approach

Harm Reduction Journal

Harm Reduction Journal publishes research focusing on the prevalent patterns of psychoactive drug use, the public policies meant to control them, and the search for effective methods of reducing the adverse medical, public health, and social consequences associated with both drugs and drug policies. We define 'harm reduction' as 'policies and programs which aim to reduce the health, social, and economic costs of legal and illegal psychoactive drug use without necessarily reducing drug consumption'.

Harm reduction principles for healthcare settings

The political and scientific challenges in evaluating compulsory drug treatment centers in Southeast Asia

Are we anywhere near there yet? The state of harm reduction in North America in 2017

Featured Supplements

Transitions within Transitions: coming of age in displacement

Conflict and displacement disrupt the social fabric of family and community and interrupts the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of very young adolescents (VYAs). The disruptions in living conditions, family relationships, school attendance, and cultural practices—coupled with the new uncertainties and insecurities brought about by displacement into foreign countries and cultures—increase the physical, sexual, and psychological risks facing already vulnerable VYA refugees, migrants, and displaced persons. New approaches are needed to focus resources on both the developmental and health needs of this population as they come of age in contexts of conflict and displacement.

Special issue on women’s health, gender and empowerment

This special issue provides a platform for examining the relevance of empowerment to various features of women’s (and transgender men’s) experiences of pregnancy and childbirth across the globe. By highlighting women’s health concerns, rights, and empowerment, this special issue aims to catalyze societal-level changes that will yield sustainable improvements in health and well-being for women on a global scale.

Additional recommended reading


Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Youth in the midst of escalated political violence: sense of coherence and hope among Jewish and Bedouin Arab adolescents

International Journal of Mental Health Systems

Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa

Concordance of the Indian Mental Healthcare Act 2017 with the World Health Organization’s Checklist on Mental Health Legislation​​​​​​​

Global Health Research and Policy

Trafficking of Vietnamese women and girls for marriage in China

BMC Health Services Research

Access to health care for persons with disabilities in rural South Africa

Health care availability, quality, and unmet need: a comparison of transgender and cisgender residents of Ontario, Canada

BMC Women's Health

The trafficking of women and girls in Taiwan: characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and forms of exploitation

Effectively engaging stakeholders and the public in developing violence prevention messages

Israel Journal of Health Policy Research

Workplace violence in a tertiary care Israeli hospital - a systematic analysis of the types of violence, the perpetrators and hospital departments​​​​​​​

Health Research Policy and Systems

Enhancing the use of research in health-promoting, anti-racism policy​​​​​​​