Health and Human Rights in Europe

The area of 'health and human rights' is a new and emerging field under international and European human rights law and health law. Taking a 'health and human rights approach' means using international, European, and national human rights law in relation to a wide range of health issues, including access to healthcare, health data protection, the quality of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as medical-ethical issues, such as abortion and euthanasia. Human rights law can play an important role in promoting and protecting health, both nationally and internationally. It gives a legal and moral dimension to existing health-related approaches, and, as such, it can enrich other health-related disciplines, including medical law, health law, bio-law, bio-ethics, public health, and social medicine. There is, however, still very little understanding of the various and multiple legal interfaces between 'health' and 'human rights,' and of the implications of this approach for legal research and practice. To fill this gap. This book examines the legal contents and implications of this new area of the law. Its focus is on Europe, as the European context raises specific questions, not only from a legal and a political perspective, but also in terms of health issues and health outcomes. The book first discusses how European institutions (the Council of Europe and the EU) deal with health and human rights. It addresses a variety of themes and approaches that engage with health and human rights links, including patient rights, reproductive health, and issues surrounding death and dying. Lastly, it discusses the position of a number of vulnerable groups, in particular disabled persons, the elderly, and children. The book's contributors have engaged in a prolific dialogue about the issues involved, and this has resulted in a number of truly interconnected chapters that together give a solid overview of the legal perspectives. Health and Human Rights in Europe creates clarity for those who wish to undertake further study in this area. Further, it will guide practitioners through their health-related cases, while law and policy makers can learn more about the comparative legal dimensions of the health issues that they engage with. *** "Inclusion of legal details about human rights, and extensive referencing, renders this book invaluable for law and policy makers. Public health practitioners will also find this an interesting and informative read with a solid legal foundation." - Health and Human Rights: An International Journal, February 14, 2013, www.hhropenforum.org