The human right to health/ Jonathan Wolff.

Bibliogr.: pages 165-177.

Introduction : the human right to health dilemma -- 1. The universal declaration of human rights -- Background -- declarations, covenants, and constitutions -- Progressive realization and core obligations -- 2. The human right to health and its critics -- Rights, humanitarianism, and power -- Rights and human rights -- Philosophical challenges -- General comment -- The human right to health in practice -- 3. HIV/AIDS and the human right to health -- The awakening of the human right to health -- HIV/AIDS discovery and response -- Access to treatment -- HIV/AIDS and Haitians in the United States -- The global spread of HIV/AIDS : Africa -- The hidden cost of treating HIV/AIDS -- Conclusion -- 4. Problems and prospects -- The World Bank and health systems -- TRIPS and the price of medicines -- The health brain drain -- Research ethics -- Maternal mortality and newborn survival -- Conclusion -- 5. Where next? -- Emerging campaigns -- Governance and activism -- Conclusion.

A philosophy professor discusses the right to health and explores both views on the issue including the idea that it is a fundamental right along the lines of free speech and also that it is an issue of impractical overreach.