HEALTH AS A

HUMAN RIGHT
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to
 Explain the concept of health as fundamental human right
 Disucuss basic human rights standards as guides in designing a
health care system
 Determine the role of society in enforcing health as a human right
 Is health care a basic human right?
 Health
 It is defined as the state of a person being free of any illnesses or
injuries with complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
 Health becomes a dynamic condition because of a body's
constant adaptation and adjustment in response to the changes in
his environment.
Health as Human Right
 Health is wealth as they always say. It might sound cliché, but it is a
simple truth. If a member of the society is unhealthy and sick, there
will be a dysfunction in the community. It is the main reason health is
considered as one of the primary concerns in every society. Thus, it
became one of the human rights.
 Human Right to Health
 It means that every person has the right for the highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health which guarantees a health
system protection for everyone.
 It also covers the access to all medical services, adequate food,
sanitation, decent housing, healthy working conditions, and clean
environment.
Human Right to Health Care
 It means that health care must be financed by the government for the
people as a public good.
 There should be an accessible, acceptable, and good quality of
hospitals, clinics, doctors’ service and medicines for everyone, on an
equitable basis, when and where it is needed.
Fundamental Human Rights
Standards as a Guide in
Designing a Health Care
System
 Universal Access
 The access to health care must be universal, meaning, every
person must have access to comprehensive, affordable, and
high quality health care, wherever and whenever it is needed.
Availability
 There must be an availability of medical assistance,
infrastructures like hospitals and health centers, well-trained
health professionals, goods such as drugs and medical
equipment, and services like care and mental health in all
communities.
 Quality
 All health care provided must be of high quality, guided by
quality standards, and are medically appropriate.

Acceptability and Dignity

 Every health care institution must respect the dignity of
people, must provide culturally sensitive care, must comply
with medical ethics, and must protect confidentiality. They
must be sympathetic to the needs of every person based on
age, culture, gender, and language.
 Non-discrimination
 Health care must be provided without any discrimination on
health status, income, social status, ethnicity, race, age, gender,
disability, language, national origin, or religion.

Transparency
 Any health related information must be accessible to every
person. This will enable people to protect their health. Any
finance and health care transaction must operate in the most
transparent way.
 Participation
 Every individual and community must take an active role in
all decisions affecting people's right to health care.

Accountability
 All public agencies and private companies must be held
accountable for protecting people's right to healthcare. It
can be through enforcing standards, regulations, or
independent compliance monitoring.
 Health Care Challenges in the Philippines

The country’s public healthcare system is harmed with problems.

Some of these problems are:
 the shortage of health staff,
 the absence of sufficient facilities, and
 the socioeconomic hindrances of the poor in accessing health
care.