Pillars for progress on the right to health: Harnessing the potential of human rights through a framework convention on global health

Health and Human Rights

Volumn 14, Issue 1, 2012, Pages

  Friedman, Eric A ^a   Gostin, Lawrence O ^a  

^a GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; HEALTH; HEALTH CARE DELIVERY; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HUMAN; HUMAN RIGHTS; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT;

HEALTH POLICY; HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY; HUMAN RIGHTS; HUMANS; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; POLICY MAKING; WORLD HEALTH;

EID: 84864120809     PISSN: 10790969     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Note

References (81)

1. J. Garay, "Global health (GH)=GH equity=GH Justice=Global social justice: The opportunities of joining EU and US forces together," Newsletter of the European Union of Excellence at the University of California, Berkeley (Winter 2012). Available at http://eucenter.berkeley.edu/newsletter/winter12/ garay.html. The figure derives from the difference in death rates between high-income countries and other regions of the world.
2. United Nations Development Programme, Human development report 2011 (New York: UNDP, 2011), p. 130. Available at http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Complete.pdf.
3. UNICEF, State of the world's children 2009 (New York: UNICEF, 2008), p.38. Available at http://www. unicef.org/sowc09/docs/SOWC09-FullReport-EN. pdf.
4. UNICEF, Progress for children: A report card on maternal mortality, number 7 (New York: UNICEF, 2008), p. 16. Available at http://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/files/Progress_for_Children-No._7_Lo -Res_082008.pdf.
5. J. K. Rajaratnam, J. R. Marcus, A. Flaxman et al., "Neonatal, postneonatal, childhood, and under-5 mortality for 187 countries, 1970-2010: A systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 4," Lancet 375/9730 (2010), pp. 1988-2004.
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7. World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, and World Bank, Trends in maternal mortality: 1990 to 2010 (Geneva: WHO, 2012), p. 19. Available at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503631_eng.pdf.
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10. We will use "right to health" as shorthand for "the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health." International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), Art. 12. (1966). Available at http://www2.ohchr.org/ english/law/cescr.htm.
11. These are the constitutions for Angola, Dominican Republic, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, and Niger. Note that the international community did not recognize the government of Madagascar, which came to power in a 2009 coup d'état led by Andry Rajoelina; "Madagascar approves new constitution," Voice of America (November 22, 2010). Available at http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Madagascar-Approves-New-Const itution-109912629.html.
12. A. Iloniaina, "Madagascar's gov't hopes for recognition after poll," Reuters Africa (December 6, 2010). Available at http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6B50AG20101206.
13. Four of the listed countries had previously recognized the right to health. This recognition is new for Kenya and the Dominican Republic, though the latter had previously addressed health in its constitution.
14. E. D. Kinney and B. A. Clark, "Provisions for health and health care in the constitutions of the countries of the world," Cornell International Law Journal 37/2 (2004), pp. 285-355. Available at http://indylaw.indiana.edu/instructors/Kinney/Articles/kinney_Constituti ons.pdf.
15. The Human Right to Water and Sanitation, G.A. Res. 64/292 (July 28, 2010). Available at http:// www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/ RES/64/292.
16. L. O. Gostin, "Meeting basic survival needs of the world's least healthy people: Toward a framework convention on global health," Georgetown Law Journal 96/2 (2008), pp. 331-392. Available at http://papers. ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1014082.
17. L. O. Gostin, E. A. Friedman, G. Ooms et al., "The Joint Action and Learning Initiative: Towards a global agreement on national and global responsibilities for health," PLoS Medicine 8/5 (2011). Available at http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed. 1001031.
18. To the best of our knowledge, the most recent comprehensive listing of right to health and other health-related constitutional provisions dates back to 2004. See Kinney and Clark (note 10).
19. Constitution of Kenya (2010), Art. 43. Available at http://www.kenyaembassy.com/pdfs/The%20Constitution%20of%20Kenya.pdf.
20. Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil (1988), Arts. 196,198. Available at http://www.v-brazil.com/government/laws/constitution.html.
21. Constitution of the Republic of Bolivia (2009), Art. 40.
22. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), Art. 3 (1966). Available at http://www1.umn.edu/ humanrts/instree/b3ccpr.htm. An FCGH could, for at least one right, remedy the distinction among categories of rights with respect to their justiciability; the ICESCR does not contain a comparable provision on ensuring a judicial remedy for rights violations.
23. India Together, Right to information in India. Available at http://indiatogether.org/rti/.
24. South Africa Every Death Counts Writing Group, "Every death counts: Use of mortality audit data for decision making to save the lives of mothers, babies, and children in South Africa," Lancet 371/9620 (2008), pp. 1294-1304.
25. R. Balakrishnan, D. Elson, J. Heintz, and N. Lusiani, Maximum available resources and human rights: Analytical report (New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 2010), p. 5. Available at http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/publications/marreport.pdf.
26. World Health Organization, The world health report - Health systems financing: The path to universal coverage (Geneva: WHO, 2010), pp. 71-72 (2010). Available at http://www.who.int/whr/2010/en/index.html.
27. Ibid., pp. 72-79.
28. Ibid., p. 29.
29. Information regarding the right-to-health desk in Uganda is from a July 28, 2009, interview between Physicians for Human Rights and Dr. Faustine Maiso, who was a Right to Health Officer with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
30. In Uganda, a separate unit in the Human Rights Commission engages in several of these functions. C. Businge, "Health rights unit launched," New Vision (September 30, 2008). Available at http://www. newvision.co.ug/PA/8/13/652335.
31. R. Zahid, Gender reform action plan - A breakthrough for Pakistani women? A policy research using Health Rights of Women Assessment Instrument (HeRWAI) (Seattle, United States: University of Washington, 2007). Available at http://www.humanrightsimpact.org/resource-database/reports/resources/vie w/42/user_hria_reports.
32. Naripokkho, HeRWAI Study of the Bangladesh national strategy for maternal health (Dhaka, Bangladesh: Naripokkho, 2006). Available at http://www.humanrightsimpact.org/resource-database/reports/resources/vie w/6/user_hria_ reports/.
33. M. Bhat and E. Clapp, The Sellwood Bridge: A health impact assessment (Multnomah County, OR: Multnomah County Health Department, 2011). Available at http://www.apho.org.uk/resource/item. aspx?RID=115411.
34. In a study involving villages in Uganda, researchers found that community scorecards led to a 33% reduction in child mortality. M. Björkman and J. Svensson, "Power to the people: Evidence from a randomized field experiment on community-based monitoring in Uganda," Quarterly Journal of Economics 124/2 (2009), pp. 735-769. Citizen monitoring of health services has also had an impact
35. H. Potts, Accountability and the right to the highest attainable standard of health (Essex, United Kingdom: Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, 2008), pp. 35-36. Available at http://www.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/research/rth/docs/HRC_Account ability_Mar08.pdf.
36. L. Gostin and J. M. Mann, "Human Rights Impact Assessment for the Formation and Evaluation of Public Health Policies," Health and Human Rights: An International Journal 1/1 (2004), pp. 58-80. Available at http://www.hhrjournal.org/archives-pdf/4065262.pdf.bannered.pdf.
37. S. Bakker, H. Plagman, and M. Nederveen, Health rights of women assessment instrument (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Aim for Human Rights, 2010). Available at http://www.humanrightsimpact.org/fileadmin/hria_resources/HeRWAI_Trainin g/HeRWAI_engels_2010.pdf.
38. People's Health Movement, The assessment of the right to health and health care at the country level: A people's health movement guide (People's Health Movement, 2006). Available at http://www.phmovement.org/sites/www.phmovement.org/files/RTH_assmt_tool_ 0.pdf.
39. World Health Organization, Health Impact Assessment (HIA): HIA related sites. Available at http://www.who.int/hia/network/related/en/index.html.
40. Human Rights Impact Resource Center, Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) tools and instruments. Available at http://www.humanrightsimpact.org/resource-database/toolsets/.
41. Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative, Incorporating the right to health into health workforce plans: Key considerations (Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative, 2009). Available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/PHR_other/incorporating-right-to-health.pdf.
42. L. Peugh and E. A. Friedman, Ensuring Equality: A Guide to Addressing and Eliminating Stigma and Discrimination in the Health Sector (Cambridge, MA and Washington, DC: Physicians for Human Rights, 2011). Available at http://physiciansforhumanrights. org/library/other/stigma-reduction-guide.html.
43. O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law (Georgetown University Law Center), World Health Organization and Lawyers Collective, Global Health and Human Rights Database. Available summer 2012 at http://www.ghhrdb.org.
44. G. Backman, P. Hunt, R. Khosla et al., "Health systems and the right to health: an assessment of 194 countries," Lancet 372/9655 (2008), pp. 2047-2085.
45. S. Mills, Maternal Death Audit as a Tool Reducing Maternal Mortality (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2011). Available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPRH/Resources/376374-1278599377733 /MaternalDeathAuditMarch22011.pdf.
46. See, for example, Minister of Health & Others v. Treatment Action Campaign & Others (July 5, 2002), CCT 8/02 (Constitutional Court of South Africa). Available at http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ ZACC/2002/15.html
47. Cruz del Valle Bermúdez & Others. v. Ministerio de Sanidad y Asistencia Social (Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela, Case No. 15.789, Decision No. 916, July 15, 1999). Available at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/oneillinstitute/global-health-l aw/who-hhr/caselaw-detail. cfm?id=1292&b=1
48. Asociación Benghalensis v. Ministerio de Salud y Accion Social- Estado Nacional (National Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina, A. 186, XXXIV, June 1, 2000). Available at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/oneillinstitute/global-health-law/who-hhr/ caselaw-detail.cfm?id=1464&b=1
49. O. Conroy, "Free second-line medication for HIV/ AIDS to be available in non-metro Indian cities from March," TopNews (January 12, 2011). Available at http://topnews.us/content/232332-free-second-line-medication-hivaids-be- available-non-metro-indian-cities-march.
50. See, for example, People's Union of Civil Liberties v. Union of India & Others (November 28, 2001), Writ Petition (Civil) No. 196 of 2001, Supreme Court Order (Supreme Court of India). Available at http://www.righttofoodindia.org/orders/nov28.html.
51. The Inter-American Commission issued precautionary measures to protect against life-threatening conditions in a psychiatric institution in Paraguay, and facilitated negotiations that led to an accord requiring the country to create community-based mental health services. A. Hillman, "Protecting mental disability rights: A success story in the Inter-American Human Rights System," Human Rights Briefs 12/3 (2005), pp. 25-28.
52. Roa López v. Colombia (Constitutional Court of Colombia, C-355/06, May 10, 2006). Available at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/oneillinstitute/global-health-law/who-hhr/ caselaw-detail. cfm?id=1591&b=1.
53. K. Ramakrishnan & Another v. State of Kerala & Others (July 12, 1999), AIR 1999 Ker 385 (Kerala High Court, India). Available at http://indiankanoon.org/ doc/1480636/.
54. Government of the Republic of South Africa v. Grootboom (October 4, 2000), CCT 11/00 (Constitutional Court of South Africa), para. 99. Available at http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2000/19.html.
55. Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 14, The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health, UN Doc. No. E/C.12/2000/4 (2000), at para. 43. Available at http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/gencomm/escgencom14.htm.
56. See, for example, Lindiwe Mazibuko & Others. v. City of Johannesburg & Others (October 8, 2009), CCT 39/09 (Constitutional Court of South Africa), para. 161. Available at http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ ZACC/2009/28.html.
57. O. L. M. Ferraz, "The right to health in the courts of Brazil: Worsening health inequities?" Health and Human Rights: An International Journal 11/2 (2009), p.40. Available at http://www.hhrjournal.org/index. php/hhr/article/view/172/256
58. J. Biehl, J.J. Amon, M.P. Socal, and A. Petryna, "Between the court and the clinic: Lawsuits for medicines and the right to health in Brazil," Health and Human Rights: An International Journal 14/1 (2012).
59. A. E. Yamin and O. Parra-Vera, "Judicial protection of the right to health in Colombia: From social demands to individual claims to public debates," Hastings International and Comparative Law Review 33/2 (2010), pp. 101-129. Available at http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/3763827/1491719588/name/Yamin-Parra.HICLR.2 010.pdf.
60. Ibid., pp.116-117.
61. Judgment T-760/08 (Constitutional Court of Colombia, July 31, 2008), at para. 4.4.3. Available at http://www.escr-net.org/usr_doc/ English_summary_T-760.pdf; Yamin and Parra-Vera (see note 46), pp. 116-117.
62. Judgment T-760/08 (see note 48), para. 3-5.1.
63. Ibid., para. 6.1.1.2.2.
64. Xákmok Kásek Indigenous Community v. Paraguay (Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Series C, No. 214, August 24, 2010), paras. 300-306. Available at http://www.worldcourts.com/iacthr/eng/decisions/2010.08.24_Xakmok_Kasek_ v_Paraguay.pdf.
65. The Global Health and Human Rights Database is a collaborative effort of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, the World Health Organization, and the Lawyers Collective in India. It will become available in summer 2012 at http:// www.ghhrdb.org.
66. Hugh Glenister v. President of the Republic of South Africa & Others (March 17, 2011), CCT 48/10 (Constitutional Court of South Africa). Available at http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2011/6. html.
67. WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, World Health Assembly Res. 63.16 (2010). Available at http://www.who.int/hrh/migration/code/WHO_global_code_ of_practice_EN.pdf.
68. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, World Health Assembly Res. 56.1 (2003), Art. 22(1)(b)(i). Available at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9241591013.pdf.
69. UN Convention against Corruption, G.A. Res. 58/4 (2003), Art. 60. Available at http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNCAC/Publications/Convention/08 -50026_E.pdf.
70. Health and Human Rights, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Directing Council 50.R8 (2010), Available at http://new.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2010/CD50.R8-e.pdf.
71. P. Joubert, "Grootboom dies homeless and penniless," Mail and Guardian (August 8, 2008). Available at http://mg.co.za/article/2008-08-08-grootboom-dies-homeless-and-penniless .
72. M. Mulumba, D. Kabanda, and N. Hafsa, "Holding the Ugandan government to account for maternal mortality," Equinet Newsletter (December 1, 2011). Available at http://www.equinetafrica.org/ newsletter/index.php?issue=130.
73. Businge (see note 24).
74. International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, G.A. Res. 61/106 (2006), Art. 33(2). Available at http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/ instree/disability-convention2006.html.
75. PAHO (see note 57).
76. Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health, World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2011), Para. 12(2) (ii). Available at http://www.who.int/sdhconference/declaration/Rio_political_declaration.p df.
77. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, "Recent laws and legislative proposals to restrict civil society and civil society organizations," International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law 8/4 (2006), pp. 76-85. Available at http://www.icnl.org/research/journal/vol8iss4/ijnl_vol8iss4.pdf
78. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, "Barred from the debate: Restrictions on NGO public policy activities - Letter from the editor," Global Trends in NGO Law 1/3 (2009), pp. 1-12. Available at http://www.icnl.org/research/trends/trends1-3.pdf.
79. "The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition." Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization (1948).
80. For a brief explanation of benefits that countries in both the Global South and North would receive, see Gostin, Friedman, Ooms et al. (see note 13).
81. To learn more about JALI, and to offer your own perspectives on an FCGH, we encourage you to visit http://www.jalihealth.org.