EBOOK Right to Health in International Law

The link between health and human rights has been recognised for many years, but        the increasing visibility of the right to health in international law has been a        distinct feature of the last decade. It has been embraced by actors within civil        society, academics, health professionals, lawyers and courts in several        jurisdictions as a tool to address health inequalities at the local and global        level, in matters ranging from access to medicines and the availability of        affordable healthcare to sexual and reproductive health. But it has equally been the        subject of derision and scorn by human rights sceptics who have described it as        lacking foundation, nebulous, and incapable of implementation.This book seeks to        offer a comprehensive discussion of the status and meaning of the right to health in        international law. It traces the history of this right to reveal its nexus with        public health and the long-standing recognition that a State has a responsibility to        attend to the health needs of its population. It also offers a theoretical account        of its conceptual foundations which challenges the position held by many        philosophers that health is undeserving of the status of a human right. Bydeveloping        an interpretative methodology, the book provides a persuasive account of the meaning        of the right to health and the obligations it imposes on States. This process        reveals an understanding of the right to health that, while challenging, remains        practical and capable of guiding States thatare genuinely committed to addressing        the health needs of their population.