NEIL SIRCAR, J.D., LL.M
Nominated From: University of Washington
Research Site: Kenya
Research Area: Human Rights and HIV
Primary Mentor: Carey Farquhar
Research Project
Developing a Human Rights-Based Approach to HIV Testing and Notification in Kenya
This study looks into how HIV testing and notification practices in Kenya, especially in light of a scale-up initiative to increase testing and notification, are respecting and advancing human rights through adherence to a rights-based approach to health. The outputs for this research include identified gaps in policy or training, highlighted best practices, and opportunities to tailor future public health programs to better support the rights-realization of vulnerable communities.
Research Significance
Human rights-based approaches to health are vital for achieving both rights-realization as well as improved health outcomes. In the context of HIV the legal rights of people living with HIV and those at-risk are important in the face of stigma, discrimination, and abuse. This research will help contribute to the growing body of scholarship on what a human rights-based approach to health should look like and how to evaluate public and global health initiatives. In addition, this research will help identify legal interventions that will both support rights-realization as well as public health.
Advice for Potential Candidates
Law in Public Health, Global Health, and Human Rights is a growing space with opportunities for legal and non-legal experts to explore. Let me be the first to encourage you to think about all dimensions to health and how they interact with one another.
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