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African perspectives on the Human Right to Health

Outdoor marketEdited by: Valerie Luyckx and Thierry Ngosso

Philosophers are increasingly concerned with global health inequalities and how principles of global justice may contribute to address them. In this regard, three theoretical frameworks seem to emerge. One refers to utilitarianism and the idea that we may address global health inequalities by framing our moral obligations in terms of the responsibility moral agents have to contribute to the maximum happiness for the greatest number of people. Another refers to humanitarianism and the idea that we may address global health inequalities by framing our moral obligations in terms of imperfect duties we have to help the most vulnerable of our global community. The third framework refers to human rights and the idea that we may address global health inequalities by grounding our moral obligations on the human right to health that each human being deserves, especially those who are the most vulnerable.

This Series is the output from a workshop held at the Brocher Institute in January 2020 entitled “African perspectives on the Human Right to Health” (https://www.brocher.ch/fr/events/390/african-perspectives-on-the-human-right-to-health-care). The papers included focus on the third theoretical framework and explore, in an interdisciplinary manner, both the meaning and the justification of the human right to health by providing an African perspective and relying on an African context on one hand, and on the other hand its normative and practical implications of the responsibility and obligations of individuals, public agents and private agents from African societies in addition to the global obligations of other non-African actors. Considerations regarding global and local equity lie at the core of the discussions. Authors of the manuscripts include leading philosophers, ethicists, qualitative researchers, health economists and physicians and veterinarians from various countries in Africa and beyond. Each paper was reviewed by 2 additional workshop attendees and feedback was incorporated.

This workshop was co-sponsored by the Brocher Institute hosted by the 2 guest editors and by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Ambizione) . The articles have undergone the journal’s standard peer review process. The Guest Editors declare no competing interests.

View all collections published in International Journal for Equity in Health

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