The right to health
The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one
of the fundamental rights of every human being without the distinction
of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
- WHO Constitution
The right to health means that governments must generate
conditions in which everyone can be as healthy as possible. Such
conditions range from ensuring availability of health services, healthy
and safe working conditions, adequate housing and nutritious food. The
right to health does not mean the right to be healthy.- WHO Constitution
The right to health has been enshrined in numerous international and regional human rights treaties as well as national constitutions all over the world.
Examples of UN human rights treaties:
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), 1966
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989
- European Social Charter, 1961
- African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1981
- Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Protocol of San Salvador), 1988
- reduce infant mortality and ensure the healthy development of the child;
- improve environmental and industrial hygiene;
- prevent, treat and control epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases; and
- create conditions to ensure access to health care for all.
The General Comment sets out that the right to health extends not only to timely and appropriate health care but also to the underlying determinants of health, such as access to safe and potable water and adequate sanitation, an adequate supply of safe food, nutrition and housing, healthy occupational and environmental conditions, and access to health-related education and information, including on sexual and reproductive health.
- Availability. Functioning public health and health care facilities, goods and services, as well as programmes in sufficient quantity.
- Accessibility. Health facilities, goods and services accessible to everyone, within the jurisdiction of the State party. Accessibility has four overlapping dimensions:
- non-discrimination
- physical accessibility
- economical accessibility (affordability)
- information accessibility
- Acceptability. All health facilities, goods and services must be respectful of medical ethics and culturally appropriate as well as sensitive to gender and life-cycle requirements.
- Quality. Health facilities, goods and services must be scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality.
- Respect: This means simply not to interfere with the enjoyment of the right to health.
- Protect: This means ensuring that third parties (non-state actors) do not infringe upon the enjoyment of the right to health.
- Fulfil: This means taking positive steps to realize the right to health.
States Parties must take steps forward in conformity with the principle of progressive realization. This imposes an obligation to move forward as expeditiously and effectively as possible, individually and through international assistance and co-operation, to the maximum of available resources. In this context, it is important to distinguish the inability from the unwillingness of a State Party to comply with its right to health obligations.
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