Doctrinal Foundations Surrounding OHRA Programs of Restoring Human Dignity Based on Health Care & Equity

• Human Dignity is Inviolable. Every person’s dignity must be restored and protected as the primary objective of health-related programs.

• Health is a Human Right. Access to quality, culturally appropriate health care is a non-negotiable right, not a commodity.

• Equity over Equality. OHRA prioritizes resources and actions to reduce avoidable, unfair differences in health outcomes.

• Non-Discrimination & Inclusion. No one may be denied health services or protection on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ethnicity, migration status, or socio-economic status.

• Participation & Agency. Communities: especially marginalized groups must meaningfully participate in design, delivery, and evaluation of programs affecting their health.

• Accountability & Remedy. OHRA commits to transparent accountability mechanisms and remedies where rights are violated.

• Intersectoralism. Restoring dignity through health requires collaboration across sectors (education, water & sanitation, housing, justice).

• Evidence + Human Rights. Interventions must combine rigorous evidence with human-rights standards and community knowledge.

• Sustainability & Capacity-Building. Programs must build local capacity and be financially and institutionally sustainable.

• Precaution & Protection. In all interventions OHRA prioritizes do-no-harm, confidentiality, and protection (including for children and survivors of gender-based violence).

• Rights-Based Approach (RBA): Translate human-rights obligations into programme objectives, budgets, and measurable outcomes.

• Proportionality & Targeting: Allocate greater resources where need and barriers are highest.

• Cultural Competence: Services must respect local cultural contexts while upholding rights.

• Trauma-Informed Care: Adopt practices that acknowledge and respond to trauma, minimizing retraumatization.

• Gender-Responsive Programming: Integrate gender analysis in planning and M&E.

• Client/Patient-Centeredness: Prioritize informed consent, confidentiality, dignity, and respectful care.

• Data Ethics: Collect only what is necessary; ensure secure handling and anonymization; obtain consent; use data to benefit participants.

• Participatory Monitoring: Include community representatives in monitoring & evaluation to validate findings.

• Transparency: Open reporting on objectives, funding, results, and complaints mechanisms.

• Adaptive Management: Use iterative cycles: plan → act → learn → adapt.

For each program area (service delivery, advocacy, research, partnerships, emergency response), OHRA adopts specific doctrines:

A. Service Delivery (clinical, community health)

• Health services must be accessible (geographic/time), acceptable (culturally appropriate), and affordable.

• Consent and confidentiality are mandatory.

• Referral networks must be established for specialty care, legal aid, psychosocial support.

B. Health Equity & Determinants

• Programs address social determinants (water, housing, education, livelihoods) alongside clinical care.

• Use disaggregated data to identify and close equity gaps.

C. Advocacy & Legal Empowerment

• Advocate for policies that remove structural barriers to health (e.g., discriminatory laws, denial of services to migrants).

• Support legal empowerment (know-your-rights campaigns, paralegal training).

D. Partnerships & Local Ownership

• Prefer local partners; create equitable partnership agreements, shared decision-making, and capacity transfer.

• Avoid parallel systems; strengthen public systems where feasible.

E. Research & Evidence

• Research must be ethical, community-led where possible, and designed to influence policy and practice.

• Disseminate findings in accessible formats to communities and policymakers.

F. Emergency & Humanitarian Response

• In crises, prioritize life-saving care, dignity-preserving shelter, protection, and rapid reestablishment of services.

• Integrate human-rights monitoring in humanitarian response.

• Complaints & Redress: Maintain independent, accessible complaint mechanisms (including confidential channels).

• Financial Transparency: Publish budgets and audited financials relevant to program operations.

• Ethical Review: All programs undergo rights-based ethical review prior to launch.

• Safeguarding: Strong safeguarding policies for children, vulnerable adults, and staff (zero tolerance for abuse/exploitation).

• Conflict of Interest: Declare and manage conflicts transparently.