Health Care is a Human Right
In advance of the March 2010 release of a groundbreaking report on domestic maternal health, AIUSA is working on the human right to health care in the United States.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights holds that every human being has the right to health, including health care. Elected officials in the United States have a historic opportunity to reform the U.S. health care system to fulfill the human right to health care, by meeting these principles:
- Universality: This means that everyone in the United States has the human right to health care.
- Equity: This means that benefits and contributions should be shared fairly to create a system that works for everyone.
- Accountability: This means that the U.S. government has a responsibility to ensure that care comes first.
» Read the full version of the principles
» See the organizations that have endorsed these principles
» Sign the Health Care is a Human Right petition!
Take Action
- Call on the Senate to provide a Medicare-like public health care plan!
- Bring human rights to the health care debate -- sign the Health Care is a Human Right petition!
- Screen Sicko in your community or on your campus! Write us at demanddignity@aiusa.org for more information.
AIUSA Action Resources
- Health Care is a Human Right statement of principles (PDF)
- Health Care is a Human Right petition (PDF)
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative Resources
- Podcast, featuring interviews and reporting on human right to health care activism across the country
- The Human Right to Health Care (fact sheet)
- The Human Right to Health (fact sheet)
- A Human Rights Assessment of Single Payer Plans (issue brief)
- Ten Human Rights Principles for Financing Health Care (issue brief)
- More NESRI right to health fact sheets and publications
Opportunity Agenda Resources
- Health as a Human Right (communications memo)
- Talking About Health Care Equity (communications memo)
- The State of Opportunity Report 2009
- More OA right to health resources
