Dr. Bernie Vigod Memorial Lecture in Human Rights: Is There a Right to Health in Canada?

Dr. Lisa Forman will deliver the annual Dr. Bernie Vigod Memorial Lecture in Human Rights on “Is There a Right to Health in Canada?” at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 4th, in the St. Thomas University Kinsella Auditorium.

In her lecture, “Is There a Right to Health in Canada?”, Dr. Forman will explore the history and meaning of the human right to health, and how human rights can help address the ongoing crisis in healthcare, both in Canada and beyond. She will address the question: Is health truly a human right in Canada? And if so, what does this mean at a time when both health care and human rights are in crisis?

Dr. Lisa Forman is a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and cross-appointed Professor at the Jackman Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. From 2014-2025 she held the Canada Research Chair in Human Rights and Global Health Equity. Dr. Forman is an international human rights law scholar whose research explores the right to health in global health law, policy and governance. She has published widely on related topics including access to medicines, trade-related intellectual property rights, universal health coverage, global health policy, and pandemic governance.

The lecture is organized by the Atlantic Human Rights Centre. The Atlantic Human Rights Centre promotes and develops multidisciplinary teaching and research in human rights at the local, regional, national, and international level. The Centre has collaborated with various scholars, activists, and organizations to foster meaningful dialogue on human-rights-related topics since 1989. ENDS