The François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University is founded on the inextricable link between health and human rights. It champions the rights and dignity of every individual, with special attention to children—among the most vulnerable.

At FXB, we believe that health is a human right—and that upholding that right requires confronting the structural violence that renders it inaccessible to so many. Since its founding over 30 years ago, the FXB Center has focused deliberately on urgent and overlooked priorities, beginning with children orphaned by AIDS—an area largely absent from academic discourse at the time.

As global and national landscapes evolve, so too have our academic priorities – ensuring that research and advocacy target the most pressing voids in scholarship and policy. The Center intentionally selects focus areas where its impact is greatest, addressing not only gaps in evidence but also the absence of legal frameworks and institutional attention.