The Right to Health: A Global Perspective on Access to Medicine and Healthcare

El Derecho a la Salud: Una Perspectiva Global sobre el Acceso a la Medicina y la Atención Sanitaria

Authors

  • Carlos Alberto Universidad de los Andes

Keywords:

Right to health, Access to medicine, Healthcare equity, Human rights law, Global health policy

Abstract

This article explores the global challenges and disparities in realizing the right to health, focusing on equitable access to medicine and healthcare services. Through comparative analysis of healthcare systems in low-, middle-, and high-income countries, the study investigates structural barriers including pharmaceutical monopolies, patent regimes, and healthcare infrastructure deficits that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Drawing on international human rights law, public health policy, and social justice frameworks, the research proposes innovative approaches to overcome systemic inequities through policy reform, community participation, and global cooperation. The novelty of this work lies in its comprehensive, multi-scalar examination that integrates legal, economic, and social dimensions of health rights, advocating for a rights-based approach to universal healthcare. This article contributes to the discourse on global health equity by highlighting the intersection of human rights, public policy, and access to essential medicines.

 

Este artículo analiza los desafíos y desigualdades globales para la realización del derecho a la salud, centrándose en el acceso equitativo a medicamentos y servicios de atención sanitaria. Mediante un análisis comparativo de sistemas de salud en países de ingresos bajos, medios y altos, el estudio investiga las barreras estructurales, incluyendo monopolios farmacéuticos, regímenes de patentes y déficits en infraestructura sanitaria que afectan desproporcionadamente a poblaciones marginadas. Basándose en el derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, políticas de salud pública y marcos de justicia social, la investigación propone enfoques innovadores para superar las inequidades sistémicas a través de reformas políticas, participación comunitaria y cooperación global. La novedad de este trabajo radica en su examen integral y multiescalar que integra dimensiones jurídicas, económicas y sociales de los derechos a la salud, abogando por un enfoque basado en derechos para la salud universal. Este artículo contribuye al discurso sobre equidad en salud global al destacar la intersección entre derechos humanos, políticas públicas y acceso a medicamentos esenciales.

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Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Alberto, Carlos. 2025. “The Right to Health: A Global Perspective on Access to Medicine and Healthcare: El Derecho a La Salud: Una Perspectiva Global Sobre El Acceso a La Medicina Y La Atención Sanitaria”. Revista De Derechos Humanos Contemporáneos 1 (1):187-226. https://publications.socipol.org/index.php/rdh/article/view/20.

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Section

Articles/Articulos