Perspective: The Centrality Of Human Rights
November 21st, 2006
by
Sofia Gruskin
|
The APHA is to be congratulated for choosing public health and human rights as the theme for this year’s meeting. Given the shenanigans of the Bush administration, this was a welcome political statement. In addition, even as there is support for human rights in the public health community, there remains insufficient clarity on the part of many practitioners about the value of human rights to public health efforts. Some actively oppose health and human rights, and others use human rights as a rhetorical tool rather than as a framework for substantive work.
The conference drew attention to the centrality of human rights for public health efforts, but a number of misconceptions must be addressed.
(1) Human rights norms and standards should not be conflated with inequality, equity, and social justice. These are compatible concepts, but human rights bring a systematic, rigorous framework to public health policy and practice.
(2) Human rights are not simply about moral or legal claims. They offer concepts and methods whose application can make public health programming more effective within diverse political contexts around the globe.
(3) Human rights are indivisible. Some commentators choose to focus more on economic and social rights than civil and political rights (or vice versa) in considering their application to public health. This false polarization is not helpful. Examples from around the world demonstrate that logically one begins with health as the entry point and considers in each situation those rights that most helpfully lead towards effective action.
(4) Human rights and the need for evidence-informed practice are not contradictory. In fact, an increased focus on generating solid evidence of how attention to human rights has strengthened initiatives, rather than acting as deterrents, is a critical next step for public health practice.
The APHA is to be congratulated. Substantive efforts must, however, continue to bring together health and human rights — not merely as an ideology or a set of values, but as practical, pragmatic approaches to improving health and well-being.
