What We Do
At Southern Africa Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR), we work tirelessly to promote health and human rights in the Southern African region. Our efforts focus on empowering health professionals, advocating for policy reforms, providing direct support to victims, and fostering regional collaboration. Below is an overview of our key strategies, activities, and impact.
Get Involved
Join us in making a difference! Whether through volunteering, donating, or advocating in your community, your support helps advance the right to health for everyone in Southern Africa.
Our Strategies
We approach health and human rights challenges using innovative, evidence-based strategies that create meaningful change
Solidarity
- Supporting persecuted healthcare workers and human rights defenders (HRDs) across the region.
- Providing a safety net for doctors and health professionals at risk.
Advocacy and Lobbying
- Engaging with regional and international platforms to influence policy changes.
- Using human rights mechanisms to address critical issues like pandemics, emerging diseases, and political repression.
Capacity Building
- Training policymakers, health professionals, and HRDs on key health and human rights topics.
- Equipping medical personnel with tools to document and report health rights violations.
Service Provision
- Delivering medical and psycho-social support to victims of organized violence and torture.
- Assisting health professionals facing persecution for their work.
Collaboration and Partnerships
- Building strong networks with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and international actors.
- Fostering cross-border cooperation to address shared health challenges.
Strategic Litigation
- Pursuing legal action to address systemic violations of health and human rights.
- Amplifying the voices of victims and healthcare workers in legal processes.
Our Activities
Through our dynamic programs and initiatives, SADHR is actively addressing the health and human rights needs of the region:
Establishing Regional Networks:
Helping create and strengthen Doctors for Human Rights organizations across Southern Africa.
Policy Monitoring and Advocacy:
Observing government policies and legislation to ensure they align with health rights principles.
Publishing and Disseminating Knowledge:
Producing regular publications, including reports, statements, and updates on key health rights developments.
Hosting Events:
Organizing seminars, workshops, and discussion groups on health and human rights issues.h professionals facing persecution for their work.
Strategic Networking:
Building alliances with domestic, regional, and international organizations to amplify advocacy efforts
Protecting Health Professionals:
Providing legal assistance, psycho-social support, and resources to medical professionals working in repressive environments.
Maintaining a Health Rights Database:
Documenting and tracking violations to inform advocacy and policy reform.
Our Focus Areas
- Emerging Diseases:
Tackling trans-boundary health crises such as COVID-19, MPOX, and other epidemics.
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH):
Advocating for access to clean water and proper sanitation to combat preventable diseases.
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs):
Raising awareness and promoting policies to address the growing burden of NCDs.
- Healthcare Resource Transparency:
Demanding accountability in the allocation of healthcare resources, such as taxation revenues.
- Supporting Victims of Violence:
Providing medical and psycho-social care to victims of political violence, torture, and repression.
- Empowering Caregivers:
Ensuring that healthcare workers are supported emotionally, ethically, and legally as they provide care under difficult circumstances.
Be Part of the change
Get Involved
Join us in making a difference! Whether through volunteering, donating, or advocating in your community, your support helps advance the right to health for everyone in Southern Africa.