Concepts and Practice of Humanitarian Medicine - 9780387722634

This collection is co-edited by the president and the director of the International Association for Humanitarian Medicine, a non-governmental organization that promotes and delivers health care on the principles of humanitarian medicine, a concept that "goes beyond the usual therapeutic act and promotes, provides, teaches, supports, and delivers people's health as a human right, in conformity with the ethics of Hippocratic teaching, the principles of the World Health Organization, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Red Cross Conventions and other covenants and practices that ensure the most humane and best possible level of care, without any discrimination or consideration of material gain." The 41 chapters they present lay out the principles and practices that underpin the mission of the Association, discussing such topics as links between human rights and health; the ethical principles of humanitarian health; specialized medical fields and humanitarian health; cooperation with the United Nations and the World Health Organization; humanitarian health in disaster and conflict zones; science and research issues; and links between society, health, and equity. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)