Health, human rights and mobilization of resources for health

Abstract

<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>