Health


to Article 25 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Everyone has the right to a standard living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing , housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a25

 

The Problem

The United States does not recognize the human right to Health. People don't have access to health care, access to information about health, and they don't know how to prevent diseases because they dont have the access to information about health, and they don't know how to prevent diseases because they don’t have the access to such information.  For example, according to a recent article written by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), "About 44 million people in this country have no health insurance- while another 38 million have inadequate health insurance".  Consequently, this means that nearly one- third of Americans and US citizens face each day without the security of knowing, that if they need it, medical care is available for them and their families. 

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.html

 

 

Support

Just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. Senior citizens are less supportive of the plan than younger voters. The overall picture remains one of stability. Today’s record low support for the plan of 41% is just a point lower than the results found twice before. With the exception of a slight bounce earlier this month following the president’s nationally televised speech to Congress to promote the plan, support for it has remained in the low-to-mid 40s since early July. During that same time period, opposition has generally stayed in the low-to-mid 50s.

  

Examples 

Within the United States we believe families - health care consumers- are top priority, being able to choose a preferred doctor and have a say in their treatment (instead of being forced to settle for the minimum the insurance company thinks it will take in order to provide full health care).  However, in the United States health care facilities and health insurance are both provided by the private sector of the economy forcing citizens to purchase their necessary health insurance.  Due to this, approximately 15 percent of Americans are currently uninsured with a large percentage also being "underinsured". 

 

Africa has had remarkable improvement over the last few years as the quality of hospitals and availability of qualified doctors has improved. Many African countries have been able to meet the growing demands for quality healthcare services for their people, by making the transformation from traditional medicine to a modern and well structured healthcare system. The biggest problem facing the public sector in many African countries is the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS. Most of the requirement s of the healthcare sector in Africa is imported from various countries around the world. Being a price-sensitive market, African buyers are always on the lookout for high quality, competitively priced goods to meet their requirements. All government efforts as well as the public and private hospital sectors in Africa are dedicating their energies towards making healthcare more accessible and affordable for the general population of Africa.

http://www.africa-business.com/features/healthcare_africa.html

 

Canada has a government-funded, national healthcare system founded on the five basic principles of the Canada Health Act. The principles are to provide a healthcare system that is: universally available to permanent residents; comprehensive in the services it covers; accessible without income barriers; portable within and outside the country; and publicly administered. Under this system, Canada's provinces and territories are responsible for administering their own healthcare plans, and must provide residents with prepaid coverage for all medically necessary hospital and physician services.

http://www.medhunters.com/articles/healthcareInCanada.html

 

 

               http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.doctorsforlifeinternational.com/images/a2a/zavora/helena2004nov/mark022.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.doctorsforlifeinternational.com/programs/a2a/index.cfm&usg=__fClyTkh_-RathKOENa7nTCkSQek=&h=263&w=333&sz=39&hl=en&start=17&tbnid=7vPq-uWdL9DPRM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHealth%2BCare%2Bin%2Bafrica%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

        

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://intelligentguidetoms.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/rebecca-at-health-care-vigil-sept-2-2009-for-internet.jpg&imgrefurl=http://intelligentguidetoms.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/universal-health-care-in-the-united-states-is-desperately-needed-by-those-with-multiple-sclerosis/&usg=__XiYPMvbLYHRRyQ4afvnJ_KlhH9Q=&h=640&w=424&sz=266&hl=en&start=13&tbnid=FGPmDI3-KrhUKM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHealth%2BCare%2Bin%2Bthe%2BUnited%2BStates%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

 

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_a2yAGxn64tU/SpR_UyAAbaI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Eb6Uv1NrWNQ/s320/Distribution%252520of%252520Personal%252520Health%252520Care%252520Expenditures%252520by%252520Source%252520of%252520Payment%2525201997%252520and%2525202007%255B2%255D.jpg&imgrefurl=http://northernwisdom.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-there-anything-wrong-with-american.html&usg=__AjDeRH2Ayb--3HDUToOhU-B8OA4=&h=240&w=320&sz=20&hl=en&start=24&tbnid=h8301dt381haNM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDistribution%2Bof%2Bpersonal%2BHealth%2Bcare%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20

 

 

 

Works Cited: 

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Retrieved from

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a25

 

PBS- HealthCare Crisis: Who’s At Risk? Retrieved from

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.html

 

(2006) HealthCare in Africa Retrieved from

http://www.africa-business.com/features/healthcare_africa.html

 

 

 

Grzeskowiak, mark.(1996-2009) Healthcare in Canada - Medhunters Medical Community Retrieved from

http://www.medhunters.com/articles/healthcareInCanada.html

 

Kurani Interactive. (2009) Health Care Reform

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

 

 

 

(February, 2007) Disparities in health care spending and numbers of doctors  Retrieved from http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/access.php