Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Center for Public Health and Human Rights

The Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health seeks to advance fundamental human rights through research, teaching and advocacy.

Based in the School's Department of Epidemiologyand headed by Epidemiology professor Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, the Center's access to the vast expertise at Johns Hopkins is a vital part of our efforts in doing the analytic and development work this emerging field requires.

Our goals We are committed to:

Rigorous science and cutting-edge research

We believe in the power of evidence-based research and information to bring about social change. Even in the face of the most extreme political persecution, violence and discrimination, people around the world are mobilizing to fight fear and prejudice with facts. The Center’s primary goal is to undertake research that will help disenfranchised communities in speaking truth to power.

Access to health care for the most vulnerable

Too often, governments neglect the health of the world’s most marginalized people. And yet it is these very people – such as women, the poor, people engaged in the sex trade, men who have sex with men, migrants and refugees, drug users and prisoners – who are most affected by disease and poor health. We believe that the world’s most serious epidemics and health challenges cannot be successfully addressed unless the rights of these communities to health care are protected and health programs are designed to meet their specific needs.

Real reductions in human rights abuses

The Center’s mission takes our faculty and students to some of the world’s poorest countries and most vulnerable communities where human rights abuses contribute to poor health care and the spread of epidemics. Through our focus on evidence-based public health interventions, we aim to contribute to real reductions in human rights abuse around the world.

Making an Impact
Using vital data from our studies in Thailand, Russia, and several African countries, CPHHR has been working to advocate for the rights of various groups who have been discriminated against or excluded from public health surveillance and programs. Follow the link below to learn more about the CPHHR's recent research and advocacy work.