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Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- It should be noted that the above-mentioned principles govern the use of force, not only in extra-custodial settings, but also where riots, unrest or other violent incidents occur within places of detention. 20 Depending on the circumstances, they may also be relevant in determining the permissibility of invasive health and security procedures, such as the taking of bodily samples or a strip search. 21 In their relations with persons deprived of their liberty, law enforcement officials may not use force, except when strictly necessary for the maintenance of security and order within the institution or when personal safety is threatened, and they may not use firearms, except in self-defence or in the defence of others against the immediate threat of death or serious injury or when strictly necessary to prevent the escape of an inmate presenting a threat of death or serious injury.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Review of the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners 2013, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The revision of the Rules offers a good opportunity to insist on the obligation of authorities to ensure free, fair and transparent access to a facility's medical services by providing a sufficient number of qualified, independent physicians in all facilities. The Rules should insist on the obligation to guarantee the availability of prompt, impartial, adequate and consensual medical and psychological examination upon the admission of each detainee. Medical examinations should also be provided when an inmate is taken out of the place of detention for any investigative activity, upon transfer or release and in response to allegations or suspicion of torture or other ill-treatment. Likewise, medical examinations must take place if a victim makes a complaint or upon his or her lawyer's motion, subject to judicial review in the event of delay or refusal. It is essential that medical examinations be conducted in a setting that is free of any surveillance and in full confidentiality, except for when the presence of prison staff is requested by the medical personnel. Health personnel must be free from any interference, pressure, intimidation or orders from detention authorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Effective and full implementation of the right to health framework, including justiciability of ESCR and the right to health; the progressive realisation of the right to health; the accountability deficit of transnational corporations; and the current ... 2014, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Courts have enforced obligations to respect and protect with regard to the right to health. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights elaborated, in Social and Economic Rights Action Center and Center for Economic and Social Rights v. Nigeria, that the obligation to respect within the right to health requires a State "to respect the free use of resources" of an individual or group "for the purpose of rights-related needs". In Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights v. Greece, the European Committee of Social Rights held that the State must engage in stronger regulatory practices to protect air quality, including the regulation of private actors, to protect its obligation under the right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Occupational health 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The right to occupational health indicators and benchmarks must be developed with the participation of workers and trade unions, including those in the informal economy. Monitoring of occupational health laws and policies on the basis of these mechanisms must be done transparently and in partnership with workers and the civil society, and all information resulting from this process must be made publicly available and accessible. Moreover, States must ensure that workers are intimately familiar with the right to health indicators and benchmarks so they can participate in the monitoring and evaluation of occupational health laws and policies on the basis of these mechanisms. Workers are best positioned to determine whether laws and policies affecting their occupational health are meeting the right to health benchmarks, and they have the greatest stake in ensuring that these laws and policies comply with the right to health. Ensuring that workers are familiar with the right to health indicators and benchmarks will additionally facilitate prospective State accountability by allowing workers to ascertain whether their right to occupational health is being realized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Occupational health 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The right to access information is central to the right to health and an essential component of active and informed participation. It includes the right to access health-related education and information and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas concerning health issues. States also have a positive obligation in this respect to provide workers with health and rights-related information and to ensure that third parties, including private employers, do not limit access to such information. The ILO also requires States to ensure that national health laws and policies provide workers with comprehensive information, education and training related to occupational health. The right to occupational health thus requires that employers make available and accessible information concerning all health and safety risks, including those related to production inputs and equipment, machinery and chemicals used in the work place. States must further ensure that workers' right to access information affecting their occupational health supersedes employers' rights to protect commercial information under commercial confidentiality, trade secret and other related laws.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Health financing in the context of the right to health 2012, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- General Comment No. 14 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes that investments in health should not disproportionately favour expensive curative care services, which are often accessible only to a small fraction of the population, over primary and preventive health care, which benefit a far larger part of the population. Primary health-care services are generally less costly than secondary and tertiary care, which by definition require health-care workers with specialized training, sophisticated diagnostic equipment and significant physical health infrastructure. Investment in primary health care is thus more cost-efficient in the long run because it prevents illness and promotes general health, which reduces the need for more costly secondary and tertiary care. The resulting savings may be reinvested in the health system, possibly in the form of additional health-care subsidies for the poor. The right to health thus requires an efficient allocation of health funds and resources between primary, secondary and tertiary care sectors, with an emphasis on primary health care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to the highest attainable standard of health (Art. 12) 2000, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- By virtue of article 2.2 and article 3, the Covenant proscribes any discrimination in access to health care and underlying determinants of health, as well as to means and entitlements for their procurement, on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, physical or mental disability, health status (including HIV/AIDS), sexual orientation and civil, political, social or other status, which has the intention or effect of nullifying or impairing the equal enjoyment or exercise of the right to health. The Committee stresses that many measures, such as most strategies and programmes designed to eliminate health-related discrimination, can be pursued with minimum resource implications through the adoption, modification or abrogation of legislation or the dissemination of information. The Committee recalls General Comment No. 3, paragraph 12, which states that even in times of severe resource constraints, the vulnerable members of society must be protected by the adoption of relatively low-cost targeted programmes.
- Body
- Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2000
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to food and nutrition 2016, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Several helpful initiatives exist to assist policymakers in ensuring nutrition accountability. For example, the WHO global database on the implementation of nutrition action set forth national policy actions and strategies to eliminate all forms of malnutrition. Similarly, the International Network for Food and Obesity/ Non Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS), an international collaboration of universities and global non governmental organizations, seeks to monitor, benchmark and support actions to create healthy food environments and reduce diet-related non-communicable diseases. It uses the healthy food environment policy index to monitor government actions. While currently at the pilot-testing stage, such tools will assist civil society in holding Governments and the food industry to greater account for creating healthier food environments. The Nourishing Framework, created by World Cancer Research Fund International, is an interactive tool to promote healthy diets, allowing a selection and tailoring of policy options for different populations. Finally, WHO regional offices have developed regional nutrient profiling models, which can be used in policymaking to improve the overall nutritional quality of diets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Corruption and the right to health 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Private hospital and insurance boards and other institutions responsible for the financing and provision of health care or underlying determinants have an important role to play in combating corruption and lack of transparency within their organizations. They must ensure that they comply with national laws and regulations regarding corruption and human rights. They may adopt an anti-corruption strategy, including internal regulations aimed at prohibiting and preventing the diversion of budgets, medicines or medical supplies for personal advantage; the acceptance of informal payments by their health personnel; preferential treatment for well-connected individuals; the use of hospital equipment for private business; the improper referral of public hospital patients to private practices; and illegitimate absenteeism of medical personnel while being paid. When it comes to preventing informal payments, the creation of individual contracts with personnel and increased pay scales while sanctioning poor performance are recommended. In the case of whistle-blowers, hospital boards and other actors should refrain from punitive actions and provide adequate protection and guarantees to safeguard their personnel and services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Corruption and the right to health 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In recent years, a number of United Nations human rights bodies have acknowledged the negative impacts of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights. By its decision 2002/106, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights appointed a Special Rapporteur on the impact of corruption on human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights. In her reports, the Special Rapporteur established that the enjoyment of both civil and political and economic, social and cultural rights are seriously undermined by corruption. In a report published in 2015, the Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council explained that a human rights perspective on the impact of corruption can move the victims to the centre of the fight against corruption by highlighting the negative impacts of corruption on the individuals and groups concerned. The human rights perspective also reveals that the State bears the ultimate responsibility for such acts. Establishing the links between corruption and human rights can promote access to human rights mechanisms to combat corruption, thus creating new opportunities for monitoring and litigation (see A/HRC/28/73, paras. 27-28 and 32).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Corruption and the right to health 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The right to health gives rise to obligations that provide a framework for action for duty bearers, as well as a framework of reference for monitoring and accountability. The right to health is subject to progressive realization. This means that many aspects of the right to health do not have to be realized immediately; rather, States must take effective and targeted measures towards the progressive realization of the right to health. However, States also have some immediate obligations, including core obligations such as the equitable distribution of health facilities, goods and services; the provision of essential medicines; access to minimum essential food, basic shelter, safe and potable water and sanitation; and the adoption of a national health strategy and plan of action on the basis of epidemiological information. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has also highlighted that universal health coverage is a core obligation (see the Committee’s general comment No. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, para. 72). States must adopt and enforce legislative, regulatory and policy measures to ensure that corruption does not impede the fulfilment of their progressive and core obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Corruption and the right to health 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is concerned that there is a “normalization of corruption” in health care; corruption can be so pervasive that it becomes accepted as “normal”. Yet these practices lead to groups and individuals being disadvantaged and to the infringement of human rights, such as access to health care on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. Changing views and perceptions in institutions and society of corruption as normal, unavoidable and justified is an important element in addressing the problem of corruption. Informal payments can be reduced by engaging with the public in a debate about the adverse consequences of corruption, with a view to changing cultural values in relation to corruption. Codes of conduct and ethics, training and education can also be used to support responsible conduct among professionals, including avoiding corrupt behaviour, although they may not be sufficient alone for behaviour change where it is most needed. States should also take action to address other trigger factors such as low or unpaid salaries, cumbersome administrative procedures and excessive red tape, as well as enhancing transparency, participation and accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Corruption and the right to health 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Corruption is a significant challenge to the delivery of quality health care, which is central both to the right to health and to the commitment under Sustainable Development Goal 3 to universal health coverage. The health sector is extremely vulnerable to corruption at all levels — grand and petty, political and institutional — and occurring in both the public and private sectors. It is estimated that every year 180 billion euros are lost to fraud and corruption in health care globally. Health sector corruption negatively affects the (financial) resources available for health care; resources that are drained through embezzlement and procurement fraud are no longer available for paying salaries, funding health-care delivery or maintenance. For example, there is evidence suggesting that health sector corruption has a negative effect on cancer care and care for HIV/AIDS. While these trends are visible in countries at all levels of development, it is evident that lower-income countries are more deeply affected by health sector corruption and a lack of transparency. In some countries, the health sector is considered to be the most corrupt sector of all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The right to health is a powerful guide for States towards a paradigm shift that is recovery and community-based, promotes social inclusion and offers a range of rights-based treatments and psychosocial support at primary and specialized care levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The element of quality compels going beyond the idea of users as mere recipients of care towards their full consideration as active holders of rights. To stop discriminatory practices, States should rethink the way they provide mental health care and support (see A/HRC/34/58).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The right to mental health requires care and support facilities, goods and services that are available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality. Rights-based care and support for mental health is an integral part of health care for all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The problem is not in diagnosing persons but in the discriminatory practices that affect the diagnosed person, which may cause more harm than the diagnosis itself. People frequently suffer more from discriminatory and inappropriate patterns of “care” than from the natural effects of mental health conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of digital access providers 2017, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- International human rights law establishes the right of everyone to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, and through any media of his or her choice (see Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 19; and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 19). The Human Rights Council and General Assembly have reiterated that the freedom of expression and other rights apply online (see Council resolutions 26/13 and 32/13; General Assembly resolution 68/167; and A/HRC/32/38). The Human Rights Committee, previous mandate holders and the Special Rapporteur have examined States’ obligations under article 19 of the Covenant. In short, States may not interfere with, or in any way restrict, the holding of opinions (see art. 19 (1) of the Covenant; and A/HRC/29/32, para. 19). Article 19 (3) of the Covenant provides that States may limit freedom of expression only where provided by law and necessary for the respect of the rights or reputations of others, or for the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals (see Human Rights Committee general comment No. 34 (2011); A/71/373; and A/HRC/29/32).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- In their most developed form, restorative justice programmes are multisectoral and go beyond the criminal justice system to include the provision of services, support and access to education and health services, vocational training and other activities in order to prevent reoffending.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Two other major gaps are identified by the responses: lack of resources; and lack of clear definitions and monitoring tools and indicators. These factors hamper the collection of timely, reliable and disaggregated data, the monitoring of progress, and the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and impact of interventions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Secondly, to meet human rights standards, water must be safe, that is, of such quality that it does not pose a threat to human health. Sanitation facilities must be hygienically and technically safe to use. To ensure hygiene, access to water for cleansing and hand washing is essential. While target 7.C explicitly refers to access to safe drinking water, the indicator does not measure quality directly. It is based on the assumption that improved sources are likely to provide safe water. However, this is not always the case. The drinking water obtained from many improved sources is in fact unsafe, with potentially adverse consequences for the health-related Millennium Development Goals as well as target 7.C. Simply putting a lid on the polluted water, which then counts as a protected well, does not mitigate all forms of pollution. To include an assessment of actual drinking water safety in the Joint Monitoring Programme assessments, household survey data would need to be complemented by data derived from other approaches such as periodic water quality sample surveys using field-based techniques. This is already done in Bangladesh, where a serious contamination of the groundwater with arsenic made it mandatory to monitor water quality, since many "improved" water sources were severely contaminated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- According to medical ethical standards, health professionals have the obligation not to participate actively or passively in torture or other ill-treatment. No obligation to a third party can override the duty to protect the individual from torture or other ill-treatment and to report such cases. The World Medical Association has held that health professionals should be made aware of their ethical obligations, including the need to report torture and other ill-treatment, to maintain confidentiality and to seek the consent of victims prior to examination. Victims must be fully informed, in words they can understand, about the risks and benefits of reporting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment to the relevant authorities and consent to it. The Association has consistently reiterated its policy on the responsibility of physicians to denounce acts of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of which they are aware. It urges national medical associations to speak out in support of these fundamental principles of medical ethics and to investigate any breach of these principles by their members.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that may cross a threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2013, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- A particular form of ill-treatment and possibly torture of drug users is the denial of opiate substitution treatment, including as a way of eliciting criminal confessions through inducing painful withdrawal symptoms (A/HRC/10/44 and Corr.1, para. 57). The denial of methadone treatment in custodial settings has been declared to be a violation of the right to be free from torture and ill-treatment in certain circumstances (ibid., para. 71). Similar reasoning should apply to the non-custodial context, particularly in instances where Governments impose a complete ban on substitution treatment and harm reduction measures. The common practice of withholding anti-retroviral treatment from HIV-positive people who use drugs, on the assumption that they will not be capable of adhering to treatment, amounts to cruel and inhuman treatment, given the physical and psychological suffering as the disease progresses; it also constitutes abusive treatment based on unjustified discrimination solely related to health status.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that may cross a threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2013, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Compulsory treatment programmes that consist primarily of physical disciplinary exercises, often including military-style drills, disregard medical evidence (A/65/255, paras. 31, 34). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), "neither detention nor forced labour have been recognized by science as treatment for drug use disorders". Such detention - frequently without medical evaluation, judicial review or right of appeal - offers no evidence-based or effective treatment. Detention and forced labour programmes therefore violate international human rights law and are illegitimate substitutes for evidence-based measures, such as substitution therapy, psychological interventions and other forms of treatment given with full, informed consent (A/65/255, para. 31). The evidence shows that this arbitrary and unjustified detention is frequently accompanied by - and is the setting for - egregious physical and mental abuse.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint report with SRSG Violence against Children on child-sensitive complaint mechanisms 2011, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Various forms of mandatory reporting were addressed by Government contributions to the present report. In most cases, the obligation relates to sexual, physical and psychological violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- There has been a troubling tendency to view engagement in physical activity as an individual or moral obligation, and to characterize a sedentary lifestyle as a personal failing, to be overcome with willpower. This ignores the powerful role that social or structural determinants of health play in dictating supposed lifestyle "choices", and the vital role of the State in mitigating the effect of such negative determinants by promoting, facilitating and encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles through education, social policy and public investments. Illustrating this principle, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has expressly stated that the obligation to "fulfil" requires States to disseminate appropriate information relating to healthy lifestyles and nutrition and to encourage and support people in making informed choices about their health; this encompasses provision of appropriate information regarding sport and physical activity, and ensuring the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of certain goods, services and facilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- It has been estimated that over 7 per cent of deaths annually are attributable to low levels of physical activity, along with more than 4 per cent of years of life lost due to disability (disability-adjusted life years). Physical inactivity is estimated as being responsible for up to 25 per cent of cases of breast and colon cancer, 27 per cent of cases of diabetes and 30 per cent of cases of ischaemic heart disease. Conversely, participation in physical activity and sport has numerous beneficial effects. Physical activity reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, improves levels of high-density cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and improves blood glucose level control among the overweight. Physical activity also reduces the risk of depression and is a vital aspect of energy balance and weight control. Accordingly, WHO has developed the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, which are designed to provide guidance on the optimal and the minimum levels of exercise that individuals should partake in to accrue these health benefits.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- As the food industry plays a key role in the global food environment and is recognized as the primary driver of diet-related NCDs, it has a distinct responsibility to take steps to realize the right to health. While many challenges facing the food system, like environmental pressures such as draughts and floods, are out of the control of the food industry, there are several areas where it can make a positive impact on health by investing in and influencing healthier food choices. To this end, the industry should consider adopting standards to improve the nutritional quality of foods through product reformulation and to improve labelling and information on their products to contribute to healthier diets. The food industry should also invest in research to improve the nutritional content of their products rather than investing in increasing the marketability of existing products. Furthermore, supermarkets and fast food restaurants should take steps to market and promote healthier options. For example, in addition to providing calorie content of meals on menu cards, fast food restaurants should adopt appropriate nutrient profiling models that indicate the nutritional composition of the foods available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to medicines in the context of the right-to-health framework 2013, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Numerous stakeholders perceive unethical commercial marketing and promotion of medicines by pharmaceutical companies as a serious concern. Billions of dollars are spent by the pharmaceutical industry on marketing through sales representatives, samples and advertising. Doctors are offered gifts under the pretext of continued medical education. Multinational pharmaceutical companies have been fined for promoting unapproved medicines, with little impact on their practices. Unethical promotion negatively affects the prescribing patterns of doctors, who would then tend to prescribe less rationally and to quickly adopt new medicines. Prescribers consequently obtain information on medicines from pharmaceutical companies, rather than consulting STGs. During the consultations, some States pointed to the existence of voluntary national industry codes to address pharmaceutical promotion. However, these have been criticized as ineffective. The Special Rapporteur recommends formulating strong enforceable regulatory systems, with accountability measures, to discourage unethical marketing and promotion of medicines by pharmaceutical companies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to medicines in the context of the right-to-health framework 2013, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- According to the respondent States, ERP is the primary method used by regulatory bodies to set a retail price above which medicines cannot be sold to consumers. Under ERP, the price of a specific medicine in one or several countries is used as a benchmark to set or negotiate the price of medicines in a given country. Regrettably, some developing countries select developed countries, with higher medicines prices, as reference countries, resulting in substantially higher medicines prices. For example, in 23 developing countries, public sector prices for generic medicines were 1.9 to 3.7 times higher than even the international reference price (calculated at the median price of multi-sourced medicines offered to developing countries by different suppliers) and for originator brands, 5.3 to 20.5 times the international reference price. To secure the lowest price for medicines and enhance affordable and equitable access to essential medicines, purchasing States should therefore select reference countries whose level of economic development is similar to theirs. If States use high-price countries for referencing, they should adjust the benchmark price to the levels of local income per capita when setting prices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph