Right to health
Encyclopedia
The right to health is the economic, social and cultural right to the highest attainable standard of health. It is recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
.
1948 states that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and wellbeing of himself and his family...". The Preamble
to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) constitution also declares that it is one of the fundamental rights of every human being to enjoy "the highest attainable standard of health". Inherent in the right to health is the right to the underlying conditions of health as well as medical care. Franklin D. Roosevelt
advocated a right to medical care in his 1944 proposal for a Second Bill of Rights
.
The United Nations further defined the right to health in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
in 1966. The Covenant guarantees the "right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health", and calls for the "provision for the reductions of . . . infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child; the improvement of all aspects of environmental and industrial hygiene; the prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational, and other diseases; and the creation of conditions which could assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness."
In 2000, the United Nations issued the General Comment No.14 "Right to Health" which expands upon the original ideas from 1966 by exploring the historical context of this right, further defining the meaning of an adequate health care system, detailing obligations of states and NGO’s, defining violations, and discussing the basics of implementation.
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...
and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from January 3, 1976...
.
Definition
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal 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...
1948 states that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and wellbeing of himself and his family...". The Preamble
Preamble
A preamble is an introductory and expressionary statement in a document that explains the document's purpose and underlying philosophy. When applied to the opening paragraphs of a statute, it may recite historical facts pertinent to the subject of the statute...
to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) constitution also declares that it is one of the fundamental rights of every human being to enjoy "the highest attainable standard of health". Inherent in the right to health is the right to the underlying conditions of health as well as medical care. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
advocated a right to medical care in his 1944 proposal for a Second Bill of Rights
Second Bill of Rights
The Second Bill of Rights was a list of rights proposed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the then President of the United States, during his State of the Union Address on January 11, 1944. In his address Roosevelt suggested that the nation had come to recognize, and should now implement, a second "bill...
.
The United Nations further defined the right to health in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from January 3, 1976...
in 1966. The Covenant guarantees the "right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health", and calls for the "provision for the reductions of . . . infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child; the improvement of all aspects of environmental and industrial hygiene; the prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational, and other diseases; and the creation of conditions which could assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness."
In 2000, the United Nations issued the General Comment No.14 "Right to Health" which expands upon the original ideas from 1966 by exploring the historical context of this right, further defining the meaning of an adequate health care system, detailing obligations of states and NGO’s, defining violations, and discussing the basics of implementation.
External links
- Right to health on the Children's Rights Portal
- General Comment No. 14. The right to the highest attainable standard of health CESCR, 2000
- The right to health and the European Social Charter Secretariat of ESC, 2009
- The Right to Health: Fact Sheet No. 31 WHO and UN HCHR
- 25 Questions & Answers on Health and Human Rights, WHO