"Health and human rights are interrelated. When human rights are promoted, health is promoted... Physicians have an important role to play in promoting health and human rights, and addressing social inequities." Ethics Manual, Sixth Edition.
Policy Statements & Letters of Support
- ACP letter calling on the government of Nicaragua to respect the ethical duty of physicians to provide care without regard to ethnic, political, or other affiliation, even in situations of conflict or social unrest (12/3/2018)
- ACP letter expressing support for the Medical Neutrality Protection Act of 2013 introduced in Congress by U.S. Representative Jim McDermott (9/10/2013)
- Letter reiterating human rights and medical neutrality concerns to the government of Bahrain (4/6/2012)
- ACP joined Physicians for Human Rights in a call for Bahrain to cease attacks on hospitals, patients and medical professionals (4/26/2011)
- The College and 19 health professional associations urge President Obama to support a US ban on the use, trade, production and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines (9/8/2010)
- ACP supports Saudi physicians and hospitals that refuse to intentionally inflict harm as punishment in retribution for injury to another (8/27/2010)
- Physician participation in interrogation: Revision to the Â鶹ֱ²¥app Ethics Manual (6/3/2008)
- The Health Effects of Economic Sanctions and Embargoes: The Role of Health Professionals (1/18/2000)
- (4/15/1995)
College Advocacy for Humane Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees
- The College appeals to the Cuban government for the release of physicians imprisoned for their human rights activities (6/2010)
- ACP, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) commend President Barack Obama for issuing an Executive Order, "promoting the safe, lawful and humane treatment of detained individuals." (3/3/2009)
- ACP writes to Secretary Michael Chertoff, US Department of Homeland Security, in support of health workers who fulfill ethical obligations in times of armed conflict (3/2008)
- ACP comments on the Department of Defense Medical Program Principles and Procedures for the Protection and Treatment of Detainees in the Custody of the Armed Forces of the United States (11/2005)
- ACP supports proposed amendments to the Department of Defense Authorization Bill letter to U.S. Senator John McCain. The amendments prohibit cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons under custody or control of the U.S. Government and restrict interrogation of prisoners and detainees to techniques authorized in the Section on Intelligence Interrogation in the U.S. Army Field Manual. (9/2005)
- ACP calls upon President Bush to order a formal review of U.S. interrogation practices around the world to ensure humane treatment of prisoners, consistent with human rights and international law:
ACP to President Bush (5/2004)
White House Responds to ACP Staff (10/2004)
Other Human Rights Resources for Physicians
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is an independent organization that uses medicine and science to stop mass atrocities and severe human rights violations against individuals.