Every year on 10 December, the world celebrates International Human Rights Day. The theme chosen for 2025, ‘Our Everyday Essentials‘, invites us to reflect on the ways in which human rights shape our daily lives. Human rights are not an abstract principle: they are embedded in our routines, our opportunities, and our sense of dignity. However, in times of turbulence and uncertainty, this fundamental truth is often overlooked.
Research conducted at the GHTM R&D Unit has consistently demonstrated how inequalities can become entrenched in daily life. The COORTE_AMA study, coordinated by Maria do Rosário Martins (PPS-GHTM Research Group) in 2020, revealed the “unequal socio-economic impact of the pandemic on households in the Lisbon region, with immigrant communities being affected disproportionately”, said Maria do Rosário Martins. Similarly, ChilDlimar‘s findings showed that ‘during the pandemic, children from the most vulnerable groups had the least access to diagnostic testing and experienced the greatest behavioural and emotional difficulties’.
These insights underscore the urgent need for greater solidarity and stronger protection of human rights, particularly for those who are often overlooked by society. GHTM has long been guided by this commitment, as recognised in 2021 when Maria do Rosário Martins received the Human Rights Gold Medal, by the Portuguese Parliament.
This mission continues today through projects such as VAX-Trust and VAX-Action, as well as the work carried out within the WHO Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) hosted at GHTM | IHMT NOVA. All of these projects are grounded in the principle that health is a universal human right. As Tiago Correia, PPS-GHTM researcher and the WHOCC Coordinator, mentioned, ‘whether we are addressing barriers to vaccine confidence, examining working conditions and well-being among health professionals, or strengthening health workforce planning systems, these initiatives prioritise dignity, protection, and autonomy’.
These initiatives seek to “promote fairer, more humane systems where every person is treated with respect and equity. This involves improving communication between services and communities, supporting the training of professionals in vulnerable contexts, and generating evidence to inform better public policies”.
On this International Human Rights Day, GHTM | IHMT NOVA reaffirms its commitment to research and action that uphold the fundamental rights on which our daily lives depend — both now and in the future.