Right to Health Discussion Guide

What is the right to health?

The highest attainable standard of physical and mental health requires an equitable health system that includes not only quality medical care, including access to skilled health workers and essential medications, but also access to the underlying determinants of health, such as clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, safe sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive health information for all, especially for the most marginalized.

11 discussion questions:

1. Does the Right to Health consist of more than the right to health care? If so, how?
2. What is the difference between the Right to Health approach and just good health ethics?
3. How do the elements of a Right to Health approach intersect and interact in policy and practice related to health?
4. What is the difference between Right to Health indicators and standard health systems indicators?
5. How is progressive realization important to the Right to Health? What are some examples of progressive realization?
6. How could states be held accountable for ensuring the Right to Health for their populations?
7. Where do health professionals fit into the realization of the Right to Health?
8. How have you seen the Right to Health being played out in your own interactions with the health system?
9. What challenges and obstacles stand in the way of implementing the Right to Health approach around the world and in US domestic and global health programs?
10. Using the elements of a Right to Health approach listed below, discuss current programs and policies that reflect these elements in their affect on health. Discuss current programs and policies that could be improved to better reflect the elements of a Right to Health approach. What practical changes could be made to these programs to increase their accordance with the right to health elements?
11. Choose a health issue (AIDS, material health, health workforce, etc.) and discuss what an on-the-ground right to health approach would look like.

Elements of a Right to Health approach*:

1. At the center: the well being of individuals, communities, and population
2. Focus not only on outcomes, but also on processes
3. Transparency
4. Participation
5. Equity, equality and non-discrimination
6. Respect for cultural differences
7. Medical care and the underlying determinants of health
8. Progressive realization and resource constraints
9. Duties of immediate effect: core obligations
10. Quality
11. A continuum of prevention and care with effective referrals
12. Vertical versus integrated interventions
13. Coordination
14. Health as a global public good: the importance of international cooperation
15. Prioritization and striking balances
16. Monitoring and accountability
17. Legal obligation

What is progressive realization?

Although many countries do not currently have the capacity or the resources necessary to implement fully the Right to Health for all people, governments have the obligation to take deliberate and concrete steps toward the full realization of the right to the highest attainable standard of health for all without any retrogressive actions.

*Source: Health Systems and the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (pdf), Paul Hunt and Gunilla Backman, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex