The Human Right to Health and Global Health Politics

This chapter discusses how the human right to health could be and has been used to influence global health politics to place greater emphasis on the interests of all people. It explores whether this right is a norm to which states adhere, or could adhere, because they identify with its underlying values. Three important obstacles are addressed. Global HIV/AIDS activism used the right to health to pressure influential states into compliance on concrete measures and therefore defined an important element of the human right to health. Earlier attempts to use this right to influence global health politics failed to advance similarly concrete measures. Those who want to use the right to health in support of universal health coverage should understand the strengths and weaknesses of this tool and advocate for concrete measures rather than broad principles.