Human Rights Approach & Cuba's Unique Method in Health Care

Human Rights Approach & Cuba's Unique Method in Health Care Lecture 3 Notes Human Rights Approach in Health Care A human rights-based approach to health care rests on the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of health and, in particular, that health care should be accessible, available, acceptable, and of good quality. - Human rights in health care are based on international treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Accessibility: Health facilities should be geographically safe and accessible to all categories of the population, particularly those most vulnerable or marginalized. It also involves economic accessibility, meaning affordability. Availability: There are enough public health and healthcare facilities, products, services, and programs to meet the need. Acceptability: All health facilities, goods, and services must always respect medical ethics and be culturally appropriate and sensitive to gender and lifecycle requirements. Quality: Health facilities, goods, and services must be scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality. ● The human rights-based approach adds to participation, non-discrimination, and accountability. Non-discrimination: Health services should be provided to everyone without discrimination based on race, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, or other birth status. Participation: Respect the right of individuals and communities to fully participate in health-related decision-making at the community, national, and global levels. Accountability: Human rights regard duties that are vested within the states, among other duty-bearers. If these rights are violated, then accountability and redress mechanisms should be in place. The Singular Health Care of Cuba: - Perhaps most intriguing for Cuba compared to these standard models found in most countries, particularly those of the Global North, is the health care system. Here are ways that Cuba does well: Prevalent Preventive View: Cuba has more of a focus on preventive care than on curative care in all ways, and the country has institutionalized that in its health policies and practices. - e.g, Cuba is taking strides forward through this agenda on primary prevention, which helps in reducing costly steps in the treatment process and generally improving public health outcomes. ● ● It is very community-based, one can say, in Cuba's health care. The country has put polyclinics as the backbone of the health system. The polyclinics serve as the first-contact level of personal health services, with comprehensive and continuous care initiated. Among other services, this covers more proximately the responsibilities that a family doctor and a nurse would take for specific communities, therefore ensuring that a medical worker with the knowledge of the health history and needs of a specific patient is always close by to each and every one. Universal Coverage: Cuba uses a universal health care model for all citizens. Health care is paid for, and services are free at the point of use by the state. This removes financial barriers, which are a big part of the problem in health care in most other systems. Training and Education: Cuba highly invests in the training and education of health workers. It has the highest doctor-patient ratio, with the medical schools or training institutions having an excellent reputation across the globe. - It also sends medical personnel to provide services in the less fortunate parts of the world, therefore advancing a global health diplomacy solidarity. Innovative Practices: The health practices in Cuba are very creative as they are driven through economic constraints. The country has developed a massive array, focusing on productive vaccinations and medications. - They are also focused on primary care and are utilizing the skills prepared by health professionals to maintain high standards of care. Social determinants of health: The Cuban health system identifies and becomes engaged in addressing social determinants of health. This is adjusted about broad social policies bettering education, housing, nutrition, and living conditions in general. This is all-inclusive since it emphasizes the various social and economic conditions directly affecting health. Comparison with Human Rights Approach ● ● ● Still, the approach by human rights and the health care system in Cuba shares most of the principles, and many of what the Cuban model practices are the ideals themselves. Indeed, much of Cuban attention in preventive care and community-based services with universal coverage provides the predicate for the main principles: - of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality. The latter system is really a vivid example of how important principles can be built into a national health strategy: - non-discrimination, public participation, and public accountability. Accessibility: Free health care in Cuba—this can be termed as an economic principle of human rights.