THE RIGHT TO HEALTH

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THE RIGHT TO HEALTH

• Presentation by
• ROSETTE MUTAMBI
• Executive Director
• HEPS-UGANDA
• MAKING HEALTH RIGHTS AND HEALTH RESPONSIBILITIES
  A REALITY

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Outline of the Presentation

• General understanding of Human Rights.
• What is the right to Health
• Key actors in struggle for right to Health.
• Who and what is the role of a Health Advocate?

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Human Rights

• Human rights are defined, recognised through
  international instruments (Rule of Law).
• Responsibilities
• Universal
• Legal
• Explicit

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Human Rights contd

• Are guaranteed by international standards
• Are legally protected
• Focus on the dignity of the human being
• Protect individuals and groups

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Human Rights Contd

• Oblige states and state actors
• Cannot be waived or taken away
• Are interdependent and interrelated
• Are universal

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What is the right to Health?

• Life expectancy 43 years 2002
• Infant mortality rate 79 per 1000 2003
• Maternal mortality rate 510 per 100,000 2003
• Total fertility rate 7.1 birth per
  woman
• Population per Doctor 18,700
• Population per pharmacist 133,514
• Population per nurse 3,065
• Population per hospital bed 870
• Health service physical accessibility 49
• Per capita health expenditure Ushs. 23,000
  (US12.0)
• Per capita expenditure on drugs Ushs. 1,580 (US
  0.8)

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Right to Health contd

• Referred to as the Right to the highest
  attainable standard of Health.
• - 1st reflected in WHO Constitution
• - Reiterated in the 1978 Declaration of Alma
  Ata
• - World Health Declaration (WHA) in 1998

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Right to Health contd

• - Has been firmly endorsed in a wide range of
  international and regional human rights
  instruments.
• - The most authoritative interpretation of the
  right to Health is in Article 12 of the ICESCR.

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Key Elements

• Availability
• Accessibility
• Acceptability
• Quality

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Who are the Actors?

• State
• Health Health
• Consumers Providers

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Who is a Health Advocate?

• You and Me

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Thank you