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Health & Human Rights - Introduction

“The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being…” 

(Preamble to the WHO constitution)

The challenge:

Enhancing health outcomes by recognizing the synergy between health and human rights.

 

 

Health and human rights has been designated as a cross-cutting activity in WHO, and the Department of Health and Development is the focal point within the Organization.

The value-added of human rights to health:

  • Human rights provide a useful framework, vocabulary and form of guidance for public health efforts, in particular those which identify, analyse and respond directly to the societal determinants of health.

  • Human rights provide a standard of performance assessment whereby accountability of governments can be enhanced by applying international legal obligations as reflected in human rights instruments.

  • Linking health and human rights means increasing the scope of analysis and action in countries and an expanded range of partners.

WHO works to support Member States by enhancing their ability to combine sound public health practice with the fulfilment of their obligations towards human rights.

 

Our Goal

Our goal is to foster the strongest mutually reinforcing interaction between the protection and promotion of health and the promotion and protection of human rights in the work of WHO and, thereby, within national health systems.

 

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