Jonathan Mann
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Mann was a former head of the World Health Organization
's global AIDS
program.
Mann was medically qualified, receiving his B.A. from Harvard College
, his M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis
(1974), and the degree of M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health
in 1980.
Mann was a key figure in the early fight against HIV/AIDS. He resigned his post at the WHO to protest the lack of response from the United Nations
with regard to AIDS, and the actions of the then WHO director-general Hiroshi Nakajima
. Mann's work against AIDS, his conflict with Nakajima and its impact on WHO's AIDS efforts have been documented as a part of PBS Frontline documentary "The age of AIDS". During Mann's tenure, the AIDS program became the largest single program in the history of the WHO. He was a key figure in highlighting the need for a global response to the crisis.
Mann died in the 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111
along with his wife, AIDS researcher Mary Lou Clements-Mann
. Evidence of an incendiary device on-board the aircraft was later raised in September of 2011 by a former RCMP officer. At the time of his death, Mann was the dean of the Allegheny University School of Public Health, which is now the Drexel University School of Public Health
in Philadelphia.
James Curran of the Centers for Disease Control said of Mann, "It was always safe for scientists and institutions to think of AIDS as a virus, a transmissible infection… but Dr. Mann structured it as a human rights
issue, and a global rights issue.
in the Newton South High School
class of 1965.
Mann proposed a three-pronged approach that has appropriately acted as a fundamental explanation of the relationship between health
and human rights
. First, health is a human rights issue. Secondly (and conversely), human rights are a health issue. Human rights violations result in adverse health effects. Thirdly, linkages exist between health and human rights (a hypothesis to be rigorously tested). Literature substantiates the effects of the first two points, but Mann and colleagues proceeded to call for the validation of the third point and challenged the world to practice it. His work led to the development of the Four-Step Impact Assessment
, a multi-disciplinary approach of evaluating interdependent and overlapping elements of both disciplines of human rights and Public Health
.
With this framework, Mann attempted to bridge a perceived gap of philosophies, correspondence and vocabulary, education and training, recruitment, and work methods between the disciplines of bioethics
, jurisprudence
, public health law
and epidemiology
. Furthermore, Mann knew that the history of "conflictual relationships" between officials of public health and civil liberties
workers presented challenges to the pursuit of what he called a "powerful" confluence of health and human rights – a positive approach.
While conflict between disciplines exists, Mann thought it important to first raise awareness of these challenges. In the spirit of negotiation
and acting as mediator
, Mann pointed out that such an intersection of fields can only benefit if a common ground in philosophies is uncovered and planted with a flag of cooperation.
Mann’s was both visionary and practical in the pursuit of health and rights for all. He advocated non-discrimination
, an ideal that reached beyond borders regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation
, gender
, socioeconomic status
, and access to care. He was born in 1947, the year the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) was drafted, and died in a plane crash with his wife in 1998 while on the way from New York
to Geneva
for a United Nations
(UN) AIDS vaccine conference. He was a gifted academic who spoke fluent French
and rallied many to the cause. He served in several roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), and in 1986 founded the World Health Organization
’s (WHO’s) Global Program on AIDS
. Mann had raised nearly $100 million in funding two years later. "The program was himself [Mann], a secretary and one typewriter," said colleague Daniel Tarantola
. Later, in 1994, Mann directed the launch of the journal http://hhrjournal.org/index.php/hhrHealth and Human Rights (journal)
, published by the François Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, which he also helped to establish. In 1990, Mann founded the health and human rights organization HealthRight International
(initially known as Doctors of the World-USA), as he felt there was a void amongst the health and human rights organizations in the United States and he desired to create a unique organization whose mission was to create sustainable programs that promote and protect health and human rights in the United States and abroad.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
's global AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
program.
Mann was medically qualified, receiving his B.A. from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, his M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
(1974), and the degree of M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
in 1980.
Mann was a key figure in the early fight against HIV/AIDS. He resigned his post at the WHO to protest the lack of response from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
with regard to AIDS, and the actions of the then WHO director-general Hiroshi Nakajima
Hiroshi Nakajima
is a Japanese doctor. He was born in Chiba, Japan, on 16 May 1928. Nakajima received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical University, Japan. Dr Nakajima joined WHO in 1974 in the position of Scientist, Drug Evaluation and Monitoring. In 1976, he became Chief of the WHO Drug Policies and Management Unit...
. Mann's work against AIDS, his conflict with Nakajima and its impact on WHO's AIDS efforts have been documented as a part of PBS Frontline documentary "The age of AIDS". During Mann's tenure, the AIDS program became the largest single program in the history of the WHO. He was a key figure in highlighting the need for a global response to the crisis.
Mann died in the 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111 was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled airline flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland...
along with his wife, AIDS researcher Mary Lou Clements-Mann
Mary Lou Clements-Mann
Dr. Mary Lou Clements-Mann was the longtime head of the Division of Vaccine Sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and is well-known for her knowledge and work in HIV and AIDS....
. Evidence of an incendiary device on-board the aircraft was later raised in September of 2011 by a former RCMP officer. At the time of his death, Mann was the dean of the Allegheny University School of Public Health, which is now the Drexel University School of Public Health
Drexel University School of Public Health
The Drexel University School of Public Health is a part of the Drexel University Health Sciences network of schools. The School of Public Health is located in downtown Philadelphia....
in Philadelphia.
James Curran of the Centers for Disease Control said of Mann, "It was always safe for scientists and institutions to think of AIDS as a virus, a transmissible infection… but Dr. Mann structured it as a human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
issue, and a global rights issue.
Education
Mann was president of National Honor SocietyNational Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
in the Newton South High School
Newton South High School
Newton South High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, the other being Newton North.-Mission statement:Newton South High School, a community of students, parents, faculty, and staff,...
class of 1965.
Promoting health and human rights
Jonathan Mann was a central advocate of combining the synergistic forces of public health, ethics and human rights. He theorized and actively promoted the idea that human health and human rights are integrally and inextricably connected, arguing that these fields overlap in their respective philosophies and objectives to improve health, well-being, and to prevent premature death.Mann proposed a three-pronged approach that has appropriately acted as a fundamental explanation of the relationship between health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. First, health is a human rights issue. Secondly (and conversely), human rights are a health issue. Human rights violations result in adverse health effects. Thirdly, linkages exist between health and human rights (a hypothesis to be rigorously tested). Literature substantiates the effects of the first two points, but Mann and colleagues proceeded to call for the validation of the third point and challenged the world to practice it. His work led to the development of the Four-Step Impact Assessment
Four-Step Impact Assessment
The Four-Step Impact Assessment is an academic framework initiated and published by the late Jonathan Mann and colleagues at the Francouis-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health. The assessment takes into account the negotiation of objectives...
, a multi-disciplinary approach of evaluating interdependent and overlapping elements of both disciplines of human rights and Public Health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
.
With this framework, Mann attempted to bridge a perceived gap of philosophies, correspondence and vocabulary, education and training, recruitment, and work methods between the disciplines of bioethics
Bioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
, jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
, public health law
Public health law
Law is an important public health tool that plays a critical role in reducing illness and premature death. Public health law examines the authority of the government at various jurisdictional levels to improve the health of the general population within societal limits and norms.Public health law...
and epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
. Furthermore, Mann knew that the history of "conflictual relationships" between officials of public health and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
workers presented challenges to the pursuit of what he called a "powerful" confluence of health and human rights – a positive approach.
While conflict between disciplines exists, Mann thought it important to first raise awareness of these challenges. In the spirit of negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
and acting as mediator
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
, Mann pointed out that such an intersection of fields can only benefit if a common ground in philosophies is uncovered and planted with a flag of cooperation.
Mann’s was both visionary and practical in the pursuit of health and rights for all. He advocated non-discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, an ideal that reached beyond borders regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation...
, and access to care. He was born in 1947, the year the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
(UDHR) was drafted, and died in a plane crash with his wife in 1998 while on the way from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
for a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) AIDS vaccine conference. He was a gifted academic who spoke fluent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and rallied many to the cause. He served in several roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC), and in 1986 founded the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
’s (WHO’s) Global Program on AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Mann had raised nearly $100 million in funding two years later. "The program was himself [Mann], a secretary and one typewriter," said colleague Daniel Tarantola
Daniel Tarantola
Daniel Tarantola was born in Ajaccio , France, in 1942. He is a Professor of Health and Human Rights at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia, leading a cross-Faculty research initiative involving the Faculties of Medicine, Law and Arts and Social Sciences...
. Later, in 1994, Mann directed the launch of the journal http://hhrjournal.org/index.php/hhrHealth and Human Rights (journal)
Health and Human Rights (journal)
Health and Human Rights is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on the conceptual foundations human rights and social justice in relation to health that was established in 1994. The founding editor-in-chief was Jonathan Mann, who was succeeded by Sofia Gruskin in 1997. Since...
, published by the François Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, which he also helped to establish. In 1990, Mann founded the health and human rights organization HealthRight International
HealthRight International
HealthRight International is a global health and human rights organization that works to build lasting access to health for excluded communities. HealthRight was founded in 1990 by pioneering physician and human rights advocate Dr. Jonathan Mann, who championed the principle that health is a human...
(initially known as Doctors of the World-USA), as he felt there was a void amongst the health and human rights organizations in the United States and he desired to create a unique organization whose mission was to create sustainable programs that promote and protect health and human rights in the United States and abroad.