Is Healthcare a Basic Human Right? 

What is the Right to Health?

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the right to health as a basic right of all human beings. According to WHO, this right includes access to healthcare that is affordable, acceptable, timely, and of sufficient quality. While WHO has worked to establish this right among countries around the world, there are still an estimated 100 million people living below poverty lines as a result of exorbitant healthcare expenses. The right to health specifically targets poor, marginal, and minority groups, who often bear most of the burden of inadequate healthcare systems. It is also important to point out that the right to health does not refer to actually being healthy, but rather to maximizing the potential for good health across a population. Individuals are free to make choices for or against their own health. Some health problems – like neurodegenerative diseases – cannot be prevented with certainty.

The Four Elements

As indicated above, there are four key elements that comprise an individual’s right to health. Availability refers to the resources, programs, facilities, and services offered within the health sector. Many countries struggle to staff enough physicians to adequately serve their population. In countries where the number of physicians is less than three per one thousand people, it is difficult to meet the health needs of all persons. Accessibility refers to various aspects of healthcare delivery, including affordability, equity, physical accessibility, and how easy it is to obtain information about ailments, medical procedures, and services. Even the United States struggles to make healthcare accessible to all persons, including those who live in poverty. Acceptability refers to culturally relevant, sensitive, and medically ethical care. Finally, the quality of healthcare facilities will determine how able a person is to improve their health.

State Obligations

Every state must work to protect the health of its citizens. This obligation can involve a number of different steps and usually varies significantly according to the specific healthcare needs that each state faces. Even WHO cannot offer a prescription; instead this is a matter that must be addressed by each country on its own, so that healthcare may be tailored towards the needs of citizens. Usually, this involves some kind of national healthcare strategy or policy that enables access to healthcare. Goals and objectives are good ways to measure the effectiveness of a particular system. In almost every case, giving individuals the right to health is achieved progressively. The system must be evaluated often and policies changed to reflect the transforming needs of citizens.

Groups of Interest

The right to health is especially important for marginalized groups, as they are significantly more likely to suffer from poor health. The varieties of marginalized groups that exist may not be the same from one country to the next, so it is important that every state make efforts to reach out. Some examples of groups of interest include: women, children, migrants, individuals infected with HIV/AIDS, and persons with disabilities. Women, for instance, make up approximately half of the world’s population and experience most of the same health issues as men. But their experience of these problems is notably different. Women are more likely to be financially dependent, they may experience violence and suffer from gender preferences within the healthcare system and in society in general. Coupled with race or ethnic differences, disability, disease, women may feel powerless to improve their own health situations. Marginalized groups such as those who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS also face challenges. There are over 30 million persons currently living with HIV/AIDS, all of whom may experience significant obstacles in accessing healthcare, including discrimination, prejudice, or ignorance.

Accountability

Every country has a duty to remain accountable to its citizens by providing access to quality healthcare. Accountability is ensured through different levels of monitoring, including monitoring at the international, national, and local levels. National and local levels are the responsibility of the country, but at the international level, The United Nations and WHO work to try to ensure that every country does extend the right to health to its people. Annual reports are collected by these bodies and analyzed by experts to ensure that countries are addressing healthcare issues.