Joseph Amon to direct Bloomberg School’s Center for Public Health and Human Rights

Joseph Amon Joins Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as Director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights

Introduction

Joseph Amon has been appointed as the director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Amon, whose work focuses on neglected diseases and populations, assumed the role on Oct. 15.

Background

Amon previously served in various positions at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, including director of the Office of Global Health and director of the Jonathan Mann Global Health and Human Rights Initiative. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Health and Human Rights Journal, co-published by Drexel in collaboration with the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University.

Image caption: Joseph Amon

Succession

Amon succeeds Chris Beyrer, who became the director of the Duke Global Health Institute in 2022. Leonard Rubenstein, a Distinguished Professor of the Practice in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology, served as interim director before Amon assumed his new role.

Center for Public Health and Human Rights

The Center for Public Health and Human Rights, established in 2004, aims to use public health research to empower disadvantaged populations. The center brings together an interdisciplinary faculty and global partners to advance policies that protect health and human rights.

Sustainable Development Goals

As the director, Amon plans to continue the center’s work of teaching and conducting research related to stigmatized and historically disenfranchised populations. This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal 5: Gender Equality, and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Statement from Joseph Amon

“We live in a time of vast inequalities where people struggle to survive, let alone thrive, amidst conflict, autocracy, financial collapse, infrastructural breakdown, and environmental tipping points,” Amon says. “The work of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights, combining the tools of population-based sciences and human rights law, could not be more important in this context. I am honored to join the center at this crucial moment, when we are still feeling the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and there is a need to rebuild trust and confidence in the field of public health.”

Experience and Research

Amon, trained in molecular parasitology, has worked for various governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the CDC, FHI360, Helen Keller International, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He has conducted research on neglected populations and diseases, the impact of political determinants on health, discrimination in access to healthcare, censorship, arbitrary detention, the “judicialization” of health, and the role of civil society in responding to health threats.

Conclusion

“Joe is an ambitious leader who is ready to guide the center in its urgent work conducting research and advocacy to elucidate the impact of human rights abrogations on the health of populations and develop rights-based approaches to public health challenges,” says Ellen J. MacKenzie, dean of the Bloomberg School. “His deep and wide-ranging experience will help the center to break new ground in their efforts to drive social change through rigorous science and a deep commitment to those most in need.”

Education

Amon holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Hampshire College, an MSPH from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and a PhD in Parasitology from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences’ F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.
   • Indicator: The article mentions that Joseph Amon’s work focuses on neglected diseases and populations, indicating a connection to the target of ending neglected tropical diseases.

2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.
   • Indicator: The article mentions that Amon’s work has examined the impact of discrimination on access to preventive care and treatment, indicating a connection to the target of reducing inequalities.

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Indicator: The article mentions that Amon’s work has examined the impact of laws and their enforcement on health, indicating a connection to the target of promoting the rule of law.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hub.jhu.edu