The Human Right to Health

Few topics in human rights have inspired as much debate as the right to health. Proponents would enshrine it as a fundamental right on a par with freedom of speech and freedom from torture. Detractors suggest that the movement constitutes an impractical over-reach. Jonathan Wolff cuts through the ideological stalemate to explore both views. In an accessible, persuasive voice, he explores the philosophical underpinnings of the idea of a human right, assesses whether health meets those criteria, and identifies the political and cultural realities we face in attempts to improve the health of citizens in wildly different regions. Wolff ultimately finds that there is a path forward for proponents of the right to health, but to succeed they must embrace certain intellectual and practical changes. The Human Right to Health is a powerful and important contribution to the discourse on global health.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 02/20/2012
ISBN: 9780393063356
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.78lbs
Size: 8.33h x 5.81w x 0.79d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2011
Publishers Weekly 01/02/2012 pg. 74
Library Journal 02/01/2012 pg. 83
Reference and Research Bk News 04/01/2012 pg. 224
Choice 08/01/2012