2nd African regional colloquium on public health, law, and human rights in Africa: ‘Noncommunicable diseases, healthy diets and (human rights) law’

Hybrid event with the 2022 Groningen Centre for Health Law Summer School

Co-hosted by the University of Groningen, Netherlands and Moi University and the University of Nairobi, Kenya

Friday, 15 July 2022

9:30-11:30 Lagos
10:30-12:30 CEST Pretoria
11:30-13:30 Nairobi

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The 2^nd colloquium on Health and Human Rights in Africa will be held on 15 July 2022, with the theme of law, non-communicable diseases, food and healthy diets. It will explore legal and human rights issues related to non-communicable diseases, including the nutrition transition, consumer protection, food security, and links with climate change and agricultural practices, and litigation opportunities for healthy diets.

This online (hybrid) event will be co-hosted by Moi University and the University of Nairobi, Kenya and University of Groningen, and is part of the Groningen Centre for Health Law Summer School on ‘Human Rights and Global Health Challenges’ (11-15 July 2022). It follows the 1^st colloquium that was held in February 2022. Background information on the colloquia series and the next meeting of the African network on public health, law and human rights is noted below.

Agenda

Welcome
Prof. Brigit Toebes

Chairpersons

• Dr Naomi Njuguna, Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi, Kenya
• Mr Maurice Oduor, Faculty of Law, Moi University, Kenya

Panellists

• Dr Teresa Kinyari Mwendwa, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya
• Mr Vincent K Mutai, Faculty of Law, Moi University, Kenya
• Ms Safura Abdool Karim, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Mr David Kabanda, Executive Director, Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), Uganda

Interactive exercise

BREAK

Discussants

• Dr Godfrey Kacholi, Department of Public Health, Mzumbe University, Tanzania
• Dr Hanifa Massawe, School of Law, Mzumbe University, Tanzania

• Dr Sam Oti, Senior Program Specialist, Global Health Program, International Development Research Centre, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office

Open discussion and Q&A

Next steps and closure

Background

African regional colloquia on public health, law and human rights: Establishing a Network on Health and Human Rights in Africa

In February 2022, the Groningen Centre for Health Law hosted a first African regional colloquium on public health, law and human rights with the aim of bringing together a wide group of interested scholars working in the area of health and human rights. The meeting identified current and emerging issues in public health, law and human rights in the Africa region, including poor public health legal frameworks, inequality and the determinants of health, trade, the right to benefit from scientific progress, gender-based violence, public health and agri-food systems, noncommunicable diseases, healthy diets, poverty and mental health, public health and social protection, and pollution including from plastic. Other issues identified included the cost of health care, technology gaps, the lack of skilled workforce, lack of resources and low healthcare financing, and the lack of government awareness. The meeting report is available here.

A specific aim of the meeting was to gauge the interest for a wider group of scholars to work together more actively in this area, and potentially establish an Africa Health and Human Rights Network. Participants at the 1^st colloquium proposed setting up an informal network to share information and activities. A first network meeting was held on 2 May 2022, a second meeting is planned for 12 September 2022, 12.00-13.00 CEST/Pretoria | 13.00-14.00 Nairobi | 11.00-12.00 Lagos: (online). A list of proposed network activities is below.

Please do reach out if you are yet on the mailing list via: m.m.e.hesselman rug.nl . An email about the next meeting will follow closer to the day.

Possible network activities

• Shared PhD supervision/training, support for PhDs/early career research through mentoring or a network (see also below) need for a code of conduct for this?
• Drafting guidance/panel discussion on decolonization of academic work and cooperation
• Teacher-teacher exchanges
• Workshops, including with community members
• Cooperation between clinicians / public health officials and legal professional/academic
• Finding seed funding/mobility grants to facilitate in person meetings.

Involvement of PhD/early career researchers:

Participants emphasized that the network especially hopes to provide space and support to PhD and young researchers, e.g. through mentoring or other activities. PhDs and early career researchers are actively encouraged to propose and organize any online meetings and take the lead in network activities, with supervision and support.

Report of the Colloquium

The report of the second African regional colloquium on public health, law, and human rights can be downloaded here.