The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

PUBLI5AED BYTAE NORTA CAROLINA STATE 6*>AF\D>/AEALTA B|Vol. 66 MARCH, 1951 No. 3J.W. R. NORTON, M.D., M.P.H., State Health Officer JOHN H. HAMILTON, M.D., EditorTHE RIGHT TO HEALTH AS A BASIS FORHUMAN RIGHTSWilliam P. Richardson, M.D., DirectorDepartment of Field Training, School of Public HealthUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C.Most of us accept without questionthe principle that the right to healthis one of the fundamental human rights,as is enunciated in the Universal Declarationof Human Rights adopted by theUnited Nations, but we are not alwaysclear as to all the factors involved inthe implementation of this right. Thepresent discussion will undertake toanalyze these factors and to look brieflyat our progress and needs with respectto them.The "Right to Health" is set forth inArticle 25 of the Universal Declarationof Human rights, which reads as follows:"Everyone has the right to standardof living adequate for the health andwell being of himself and of his famUy,including food, clothing, housing, andmedical care, and necessary socialservices, and the right to security inthe event of unemployment, sickness,disability, widowhood, old age, orother lack of livelihood in circumstancesbeyond his control."Of primary significance, of course, inthe interpretation of this statement isthe definition of the word health. TheWorld Health Organization gives us inits constitution what is probably themost comprehensive definition. It states"Health is defined as a state of completephysical, mental, and social well-being,not merely the absence of disease orinfirmity."If we paraphrase the declaration,then, using this definition we have:"Everyone has the right to standardof living adequate for a state of completephysical, mental, and social wellbeingfor himself and his family, includingfood, clothing, housing, medicalcare, and necessary social services."Stating the Declaration this wayserves to emphasize a point which Ifeel should be basic to oiu- thinking, andthat is that health in the broad senseis a function of all the factors whichenter into what we usually refer to asstandard of living, and not simply ofhealth and medical services. Thesehealth and medical services are of vitalimportance to the attainment and preservationof health, but they are onlyone of the necessary factors. In thiscountry we have been devoting a greatdeal of attention to public health services,hospitals, and medical care, andwe are sometimes prone to overlook thefact that even though these things wereentirely adequate, they would not assurethe individual of a "state of completephysical, mental, and social well-being"in the absence of economic security, decenthousing, proper diet, and educationin health matters.I want to devote the major part ofthis discussion to an analysis of healthand medical services, but I would likefirst to emphasize the importance of