The State of Health in the World
"In
an era characterised by massive economic growth and spectacular advances
in science and technology the state of health in many parts of the world
is deteriorating. Sadly in an era characterised by massive economic
growth and spectacular advances in science and technology there are many
countries, in Africa and elsewhere, in which infectious diseases and
deplorable poverty are rampant. Seeking to understand why this is the
case and what should be done are some of the most pressing moral and
human rights challenges facing the world today. We should begin
by acknowledging that these features reflect profound dysfunction of the
world as a complex system. Only then can effective
remedies be formulated and implemented."
-Solomon Benatar, M.D,
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Board of Advisors, Global Lawyers & Physicians
January 2006
The world places significant value on the
human rights and health movement as evidenced by a growing body of
literature and the many emerging conferences devoted to this topic.
However, human rights and health violations continue despite rapid
medical and scientific advances, even in wealthy, industrialized
countries. Economic polarization has intensified, resulting in widening
disparities in health status and longevity. While a small percentage of
the population enjoys a high quality of life and benefits from
continuing scientific progress, billions of people lack access to even
basic health care. It is essential to take equity seriously and move
immediately to improve the lives of the 2 billion people who live in
wretched conditions, and another 2 billion people with inadequate health
care, education, and nutrition.
The bold promise of universal human rights
is more often aspirational and inspirational than operational. Universal
success of the movement requires a commitment on the part of each nation
to move beyond self-interest and sovereignty as well as an effort to
reach beyond elite, academic circles to involve all people in the
solution. Barriers to reaching this goal must be addressed, including
the failure of powerful nations to acknowledge and document human rights
violations within their borders, insincerity in the application of
recognized standards in their relationships with foreign powers, and
complacency with the notion of human rights as a purely Western
endeavor. Critical to this mission is the understanding that rights are
ineffective if the correlative duties are not carried out. The events of
September 11th exponentially increased the United States' motivation to
fight terrorism and deter future attacks. Although poverty does not
directly cause terrorism, improving the living conditions of those worst
off in the world is likely to prevent the growth of terrorist
organizations. We should recognize the global advantages as well as the
moral imperative of preventing starvation and alleviating preventable
suffering. Debt relief and modest increments in economic assistance
could establish effective international public health programs and
provide access to clean drinking water, adequate nutrition, basic
education, health care, and essential drugs. The establishment of a
Global AIDS, Malaria and TB Fund is one step towards this goal. Full
support from the United States , financially and conceptually, would
demonstrate what can be accomplished with the wealth of powerful nations
and a statement of our commitment to helping other nations.
It is imperative that wealthy nations both
recognize an obligation to commit resources to less fortunate nations,
and recognize the impact of setting a moral example.
As responsible lawyers and physicians working for health and human rights, we commit ourselves to sustaining the concepts of human rights and building on the impressive successes achieved thus far. For those needing help with related academic work, using services like "write my essay online" can be advantageous. Through continuing intellectual and practical approaches, we are resolved to broaden and intensify global concern for human health and concrete actions to improve the health and living conditions of all people.
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