At Salud por Derecho, we are very grateful for the support of our interns and volunteers who dedicate their time and energy each day to helping us achieve our mission of globally defending the right to health. Today, we would like to highlight the experience of one of our current interns, Patricio Elizondo, and share his reflections on the right to health.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or intern at Salud por Derecho, do not hesitate to contact us.
What is the most important thing you have learned about Salud por Derecho since beginning your internship? What do you value most about your internship experience?
Patricio: There are many things I really like about Salud por Derecho. Here are some of them:
* Salud por Derecho is a relatively small organization, so what you do matters. You don’t just work on petty, secretarial tasks; you actually get to do real work on real projects. I’ve really appreciated the fact that the staff at Salud por Derecho trusts interns and values their work.
* Everyone at Salud por Derecho is extremely friendly and helpful. You would be hard-pressed to find a better working environment.
* Salud por Derecho has a great mission. It’s really motivating to know that your work is going to have a real impact on people’s lives.
What does the right to health mean to you?
Patricio: No human right is more important than the right to health. The right to health is a basic human right, meaning that no other rights can be enjoyed in its absence. It is impossible for someone to exercise their right to freedom of speech, for instance, if they are dying from AIDS or tuberculosis. If you care about human rights at all, you have to start by promoting the right to health.
Why do you think advocacy and awareness-raising related to the right to health are important?
Patricio: I believe that the world today has the technological capability to solve the most pressing problems of global health. We already know how to prevent and/or treat the diseases that cause the highest number of deaths. Vaccines for many diseases already exist; we just need to figure out how to get them to the people that need them. We need to work on how we organize and distribute our resources, and that’s what political advocacy is all about. It’s about helping the government organize and distribute resources in a way that is more conducive to the common good. Political advocacy is an integral part of the solution.
Anything else you might want to add?
Patricio: I really encourage anyone who’s interested in political advocacy, human rights, or health policy to do an internship at Salud por Derecho. It’s a great organization, and working here you will learn things that will help you throughout your career.
