Human Right to Health ProGRAM

NESRI’s Human Right to Health Program works with health advocates to develop a human rights approach to protecting health and ensuring access to adequate health care for all people in the United States. Human rights offer a framework for promoting health policies rooted in a commitment to prioritizing the well-being of people over profits.  Furthermore, the language and principles of human rights provide popular and accessible messaging and tools for community empowerment. 

The Human Right to Health Program currently focuses on advancing a human rights approach for reforming the systems for financing and delivering health care.  This includes the private and public health insurance sector and state-based systems that serve as gatekeepers to health services and benefits, such as the workers’ compensation system.  The program works with community partners and other health advocates to generate human rights documentation, analysis, advocacy, public education materials, and workshops. 

NEW PUBLICATION! The Health and Human Rights Journal at Harvard’s School of Public Health published an article by NESRI Health Program Director, Anja Rudiger, From Market Competition to Solidarity? Assessing the Prospects of U.S. Health Care Reform Plans from a Human Rights Perspective >>>

NESRI and NHeLP release Pursuing A New Vision for Health Care: A Human Rights Assessment of the Presidential Candidates' Proposals.

Press Release >>>
Human Rights Assessment >>>

Human Right to Health Program Initiatives

Human Right to Health Capacity Building Collaborative
NESRI, along with the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is an anchor organization for the Human Right to Health Capacity Building Collaborative.  Other collaborative members include the FXB Center on Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health, Ipas, the Opportunity Agenda, and the Human Rights Implementation Project. The collaborative is developing tools and training materials geared to support local organizations seeking to reform health care in their state. 

The Human Rights of Workers with Injuries Project
The Human Right to Health Program partners with the “It’s About Time” Campaign to advocate for reform of the workers’ compensation system in New York State.  NESRI is producing a human rights report that will document the procedural, financing and administrative crisis within the workers' compensation system, which frequently results in inadequate, delayed or denied care and benefits for legitimate occupational injuries. The report will also detail the impact of these problems on the health and well-being of workers, and assess the prospects of reforming the system in a way that protects human rights.

Basic Information on the Right to Health and Health Care

Everyone has a fundamental human right to health, which includes access to health care. It is the government’s obligation to guarantee that everyone can exercise their rights. Human rights standards emphasize that the protection of health, not financial gains or any other factor, is the primary purpose of a health care system, and insist on universality, equity and private sector accountability to the health care needs of the whole population. For more information on the Human Right to Health and Health Care, click >>>