N° 17 | 2024
Retos y perspectivas del derecho a la salud en un mundo globalizado
Challenges and perspectives of the right to health in a globalized world

Health is a universal human right and, by definition, an obvious extension of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to the World Health Organization, this right refers to the "highest attainable standard of health". However, to achieve this maximum, it requires interrelation with other human rights, such as the rights to food, housing, work, education, nondiscrimination, access to information and participation.

The right to health is supported by international agreements and treaties, such as the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The right to health implies guaranteeing equitable access to quality health services, without discrimination and with the participation and informed consent of individuals.

From an international perspective, public health policies should be aligned with the right to health. In addition, governments must ensure that health policies respect and protect human rights, including the right to health.

Universal access to healthcare is an important goal for many nations around the world. Universal access to health policies focuses on ensuring that all individuals can access health care, essential medicines and preventive services.

However, there are currently several challenges to achieve equitable and universal access to the right to health, especially within the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, such as inequality and inequity in health, economic barriers due to the lack of efficient financing schemes, high cost of health services especially for populations in situations of poverty, lack of geographic access, cultural and linguistic differences, lack of health education, fragmented health systems, and others.

Overcoming these challenges requires the commitment and collaboration of governments, international organizations, the scientific community, civil society and other relevant actors. Therefore, this 17th issue of TraHs aims to identify barriers and challenges that affect equitable access to health in a global context, as well as to highlight opportunities and approaches that can help overcome the challenges identified. This involves assessing best practices and innovative approaches that are being implemented in different parts of the world, as well as identifying areas where greater focus and action is required.