The Brocher Declaration, developed by Advocacy for Global Health Partnerships (AGHP), is a statement of ethical principles to guide policy regarding short-term global health engagements. The Declaration urges health professionals and other entities that participate in these programs to be aware of and address the challenges and concerns of all involved partners, and adhere to principles of mutual respect, solidarity, and social justice.
Convened in 2017, AGHP is a multidisciplinary coalition that includes both U.S. and internationally-based individuals (representing high-, middle- and low-income countries) from academia, public health organizations and coalitions, faith-based and secular healthcare NGOs, and other healthcare associations. The group’s membership includes individuals from the fields of nursing, dentistry, medicine, public health, social science, law, and business. As a member of AGHP, Dr. Tracy Rabin (co-director, YIGH Global Health Ethics Program), participated in deliberations that ultimately led to the creation of the Brocher Declaration, which was formally launched in 2020.
The Brocher Declaration applies to a range of short-term global health activities, including clinical and other educational exchanges, student and trainee research projects, and medical mission trips. It outlines six principles/conditions that should guide these programs, including:
1. mutual partnership with bidirectional input and learning;
2. empowered host country and community-defined needs and activities;
3. sustainable programs and capacity building;
4. compliance with applicable laws, ethical standards, and codes of conduct;
5. working with humility, cultural sensitivity, and respect for all involved; and
6. accountability for actions.
You can learn more about the Brocher Declaration and AGHP, here. Dr. Rabin and Dr. Kaveh Khoshnood (co-director, YIGH Global Health Ethics Program) have incorporated the Declaration into the GHEP agenda and will partner with faculty across Yale under the umbrella of the YIGH Global Health Ethics Faculty Network.