Understanding Public Health in Conflict Zones

Thursday, June 20, 2024 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Virtual

About the Event

This timely event will feature firsthand insights and provide a raw and unfiltered view of the on-the-ground realities of providing care in a conflict zone, including the strains on local health systems. During this event, we will also explore the broader geopolitical contexts, diplomatic efforts, and the multifaceted regional impacts of war.

Join us for a thought-provoking evening where we delve into the intricate connections between armed conflict and public health and explore the human toll of war, its impact on health systems, and the diplomatic avenues to address these complex challenges. 

Speakers

Leonard Rubenstein

Leonard Rubenstein is a lawyer who has spent his career in human rights, and now focuses particularly on health and human rights, especially the protection of health in armed conflict,  and the roles of health professionals in human rights. At Johns Hopkins he is core faculty of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights and the Berman Institute of Bioethics. Prior to coming to Johns Hopkins he served as Executive Director and then President of Physicians for Human Rights, as a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, and as Executive Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. 

Professor Rubenstein’s current work includes advancing protection of health facilities, patients, and health workers in situations of conflict, advancing refugee and migrant health and rights, and exploring the ethical responsibilities of health professionals to advance human rights Professor Rubenstein founded and chairs the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition.

Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse

Katia is a pediatrician who leads the clinical team of Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit as Senior Clinical Manager. She is originally from Brazil where she completed her medical training but has lived in Vermont for 5 years. Her work is dedicated to providing life-saving healthcare services to vulnerable communities affected by humanitarian crises. She is passionate about health equity, cultural sensitivity, and awareness; for which she advocates in every response. She has had the opportunity to work in many diverse contexts; Brazil, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, Haiti, and Colombia (just to name a few) and every new experience has intensified her commitment to supporting access to healthcare for those who need it most.