Today, April 7 is World Health Day. The theme for this year is 'My health, my right’.
Around the world, the right to health of millions is increasingly coming under threat.
This year’s theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing and decent working and environmental conditions.
Governments are obliged to enact policies ensuring universal access to quality health services and address the root causes of health disparities, including poverty, stigma and discrimination.
As an individual; KNOW YOUR HEALTH RIGHTS.
You have the right to:
Safe and quality care, without any discrimination.
Privacy and confidentiality of your health information.
Information about your treatment and to informed consent.
Make decisions about your own health.
Health as a basic human right. You should have access to the health services you need when and where you need them, without facing financial hardship.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Advocate – appeal to your political leaders to invest in quality healthcare, join health communities demanding action, participate in petitions and discussions, town-hall meetings and citizen assemblies.
Organize your community – e.g. at work, your religious institutions – to agree what needs to change and how.
We close with the famous words of Nelson Mandela, 'Health cannot be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right.'