To the Editor: I laud the effort of the Consortium for Health and Human Rights to encourage awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in medical schools.1 Abuse of human rights and especially torture and loss of security of person are the reverse of medical care and relief of suffering.
I strongly encourage all medical schools to include, in addition to lectures on human rights, in-depth discussions on international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. The conventions both codify human rights in "Common Article III" of the 4 conventions and detail the rights and duties of medical personnel in armed conflict.
With more than 30 armed conflicts going on throughout the world, many US physicians will be affected by or treat patients affected by war.2 Many US physicians will volunteer to work abroad with international humanitarian organizations or the armed forces. It is essential that such volunteers understand the . . . [Full Text of this Article]
