Interview with Francisco Songane: Evidence of Impact of Human Rights-Based Approaches to Health

Dr. Francisco Songane was Mozambique’s minister of health from 2000 to 2004. During his tenure, he oversaw the introduction of innovative strategies to tackle malaria and hepatitis B. In addition to ensuring the inclusion of HIV treatment in the public health system, he helped galvanize community partnerships and addressed rural and urban inequalities, resulting in reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality. Since 2004, Dr. Songane has held prominent roles in…

Germany’s Experience in Supporting and Implementing Human Rights-Based Approaches to Health, plus Challenges and Successes in Demonstrating Impact on Health Outcomes

Thomas Silberhorn Health and Human Rights 17/2 Published December 10, 2015 The right to health is a human right. Every person has the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. However, for many people, enjoyment of this right is far from reality—for example, many do not have access to effective and affordable medicine and treatments or to safe drinking water, adequate food, and basic sanitation. Some progress has…

Ethical and Human Rights Foundations of Health Policy: Lessons from Comprehensive Reform in Mexico

Julio Frenk and Octavio Gómez-Dantés Health and Human Rights 17/2 Published December 10, 2015 Abstract This paper discusses the use of an explicit ethical and human rights framework to guide a reform intended to provide universal and comprehensive social protection in health for all Mexicans, independently of their socio-economic status or labor market condition. This reform was designed, implemented, and evaluated by making use of what Michael Reich has identified…

Assessing the Impact of a Human Rights-Based Approach across a Spectrum of Change for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health

Rebekah Thomas, Shyama Kuruvilla, Rachael Hinton, Steven L. B. Jensen, Veronica Magar, and Flavia Bustreo Health and Human Rights 17/2 Published December 10, 2015 Abstract Global momentum around women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, coupled with the ambitious and equalizing agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has exposed a tension between the need for comprehensive, multi-actor, rights-based approaches that seek to “close the gaps” and a growing economic and political…

Editorial: Making the Case: What Is the Evidence of Impact of Applying Human Rights-Based Approaches to Health?

Paul Hunt, Alicia Ely Yamin, and Flavia Bustreo Health and Human Rights 17/2 Published December 10, 2015 Context for the special issue This special issue of the Health and Human Rights Journal constitutes another step on the path toward making the case for human rights-based approaches (HRBAs) to health. In 2003, the United Nations (UN) outlined the pillars of an HRBA to development, which include universality and inalienability, indivisibility, interdependence…