A/HRC/37/74 syphilis. Thailand offered free HIV testing and treatment for all, including migrant workers. Despite those achievements, stigma and discrimination remained barriers in the HIV response. The AIDS strategy in Thailand included specific targets to reduce HIV-related discrimination. The Government had an evidence-based approach to tackling discrimination. Levels of stigma and discrimination had been measured in health facilities through a survey. Based on the results, the country combated discrimination at the individual, health facility and community levels through participatory and active training of health workers. Lessons learned from the experience included acknowledging that HIVrelated stigma and discrimination were common, the need to adopt an evidence-based approach to combat stigma, adapt global guidelines to local contexts, create multistakeholder partnerships, safe learning spaces and take a non-judgmental approach, and the need for technical assistance and capacity-building. 37. The Director of the Saint John of God Catholic Hospital in Lunsar, Sierra Leone, Brother Michael Musa Koroma, said that health workers and administrators were in a unique position to use human rights to improve health-care systems. Front-line health-care workers were often the only point of contact with the health system for millions of people and many of them provided culturally appropriate health care, counselling to prevent the spread of diseases and other health services. Their role in promoting human rights was undermined by a lack of resources and knowledge, personal and societal beliefs and attitudes and institutional norms. During the Ebola outbreak, hundreds of health workers had died. The quality of care for the sick had been undermined by discriminatory and disrespectful behaviours. Ebola suspects and their families had been quarantined without basic supplies. Communities had been scattered due to a lack of information and mistrust. The care given and the measures taken to protect the dignity of those affected by the crisis in the hospital in Lunsar provided lessons for the promotion of human rights in future crises. 38. A representative of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, Frederike Booke, spoke about the links between human rights protection and access to and utilization of health services, emphasizing the vicious circle of human rights violations suffered by persons living with communicable diseases. To break the circle, the Association had engaged in projects aimed at addressing discrimination in health care. In 2017, it had adopted the Declaration of Commitment to Eliminate Discrimination in Healthcare and a memorandum of understanding with youth-led organizations to increase medical students’ awareness and knowledge of the importance of fighting discrimination. Together with partners, including local communities, the Association planned to develop an advocacy brief on non-stigmatization of health care and a guidance note on building more inclusive medical curricula. 39. During the interactive dialogue, representatives of Spain, UNAIDS, the Association Miraisme International, the Centre for Reproductive Rights, the International Disability and Development Consortium, the People’s Health Movement and the World Social Forum took the floor. Participants praised the work and initiatives of front-line health workers and students. Some asked questions about human rights in armed conflicts regarding data and information on maternal health and reproductive rights. Others raised issues relating to institutional involvement in non-discrimination initiatives, effectiveness of accountability policies and training on the treatment of persons with disabilities. One participant inquired how health workers in countries without health systems could be helped and how to foster international solidarity to establish such systems. 40. Mr. Wannamethee described the tools Thailand had to measure stigma and discrimination, and the country’s goal to reduce 90 per cent of stigmatization by 2030. Global guidelines needed to be commensurate with local realities and all stakeholders should participate in designing training materials. Brother Koroma called for training and respect for front-line health workers’ rights. Accountability required infrastructure, faithbased health institutions should complement the work of Governments, and the cultures of local communities should be respected. Ms. Booke said that the opinions of persons with disabilities and young health workers should be taken into account when designing programmes to fight communicable diseases. Ms. Martinez called for reproductive health to be embedded in overall primary health-care services, for community participation in health 11