- Medical ethics have been in existence for over 2,300 years, and cross cultural boundaries.
- Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are trained to treat those in need – regardless of politics, race, or religion – and governments must respect that duty.
- Attacks on health professionals and the sick and wounded violate the principle of medical neutrality and are grave breaches of international law.
- Violations of medical neutrality include:
- Attacks on health care facilities, medical personnel, and patients;
- Wanton destruction of medical supplies;
- Willful obstruction of medical ethics; deliberate misuse of health care facilities, services, uniforms, or insignia;
- Deliberate blocking of access to health care facilities and care; and
- Arbitrary arrest or detention of medical professionals or patients.
- Laws of war protect the sick and wounded and the medical professionals who treat them during times of armed conflict. However, during periods of civil unrest, these same rights are not granted the same equally-deserving level of protection or definition under international human rights law.
- The Medical Neutrality Protection Act of 2011:
- Authorizes the United States to withhold military assistance to countries found to be in violation of the principle of medical neutrality; and
- Calls for the Secretary of State to provide a list of countries that currently violate medical neutrality, and requires the State Department to include medical neutrality violations in the annual State Department Country Human Rights Reports;
- Encourages the US to use its voice at the UN Human Rights Council to establish a Special Rapporteur on medical neutrality.