Relationship Between Health and Human Rights

Question: 1.Is there relationship between health and Human Rights? Answer: Introduction Health and human rights are among the most important approaches to improve the well-being of the human population. The international laws, as well as several national constitutions, have enshrined the right to health. While promoting human rights have an enormous impact on the health of the population, violating the rights will have adverse effects on it. The health policies also have an impact on the human rights. Violating human rights have direct consequences on the public health. It leads to negative effects on the populations health. Some of the violations of human rights include torture, slavery, violence against women and children and conducting harmful traditional practices. The health consequences of these violations are serious. Advocates of a rights-based approach to public health, argue that the effects of social injustice will be reduced once the vices are avoided (Levy Sidel, 2013). Health policies have an impact on the human rights. An individual is entitled to a dignified life right from their birth (Donnelly, 2013). Public policies implemented by the state may fail to prioritize some of the policies and programs that have been designed. This could lead to out rightly discrimination of the groups affected. The states, in some instances, may invoke policies limiting individual rights, with the aim of protecting the same public health. The freedom of movement is an example of the right that can be violated by such health policy. Any public health officer is mandated to promote good health as well as fulfilling and respecting their clients human rights. According to Ivanov and Oden (2013), public health officers should incorporate the target population into their programs while still at the planning stages. This will ensure that the rights of those who will participate in the program are catered. Respect for the human rights reduces the vulnerability to ill health. Today, health professionals have become a part of the global movement protecting the human rights (Frenk et. al., 2010). By joining the movement to protect and fulfill the human rights, the professionals get an opportunity to reduce the vulnerability to ill health. Global organizations like the United Nations have taken steps to ensure respect for human rights is achieved. United Nations Special Rapporteurs are experts working independently to investigate the abuses of human rights. The platform provides the person appointed with the opportunity to establish the facts on the human rights. He/she presents a report to the UN General Assembly as well as to the Commission on Human Rights which are both international bodies (Hunt, 2006). The international human law advocates for the provision of the highest attainable standards of health (Assembly, 1948). The continuous support for the respect of human rights eventually reduces the vulnerability to ill-health. Conclusion Public health is the face of a population. It indicates the levels in which the people abide by the rights of others. Further, the respect for the human rights explains the failure or success in the conditions of the health care of the population. The public policies and programs on health impact on the human rights. Therefore, the steps taken to fulfill and respect the human rights will translate to better public health. References Assembly, U. G. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. UN General Assembly. Donnelly, J. (2013). Universal human rights in theory and practice. Cornell University Press. Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z. A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., Kistnasamy, B. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The lancet, 376(9756), 1923-1958. Hunt, P. (2006). The human right to the highest attainable standard of health: new opportunities and challenges. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 100(7), 603-607. Ivanov, L. L., Oden, T. L. (2013). Public health nursing, ethics and human rights. Public Health Nursing, 30(3), 231-238. Levy, B. S., Sidel, V. W. (2013). Social injustice and public health. Oxford University Press.