Health, human rights and mobilization of resources for health

• Main Author: Lie Reidar K (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2004-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/1472-698X-4-4; 1472-698X
• Keywords: Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: BMC International Health and Human Rights, Vol 4, Iss 1, p 4 (2004)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There has been an increased interest in the role of a human rights framework to mobilize resources for health.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper argues that the human rights framework does provide us with an appropriate understanding of what values should guide a nation's health policy, and a potentially powerful means of moving the health agenda forward. It also, however, argues that appeals to human rights may not necessarily be effective at mobilizing resources for <it>specific </it>health problems one might want to do something about. Specifically, it is not possible to argue that a particular allocation of scarce health care resources should be changed to a different allocation, benefiting other groups. Lack of access to health care services by some people only shows that something has to be done, but not what should be done.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>The somewhat weak claim identified above together with the obligation to realize progressively a right to health can be used to mobilize resources for health.</p>