AIDS and Human Rights: Where Do We Go from Here?

Abstract

Through the insights provided by the connection between health and human rights explicit efforts to promote and protect human rights have been added to the list of traditional useful public health approaches. Two major challenges arise out of these interconnection: forms and mechanisms of human rights action are inappropriate to public health workers; neither health-related institutions nor human rights organizations may provide sufficient moral and logistic support for health/human rights-based action. From the viewpoint of human rights organizations health-related issues such as HIV/AIDS constitute a special challenge. To initiate action towards HIV/AIDS based on the health and human rights connection 4 steps are proposed: 1) connections between human rights and HIV/AIDS and other health issues must be established and reinforced; 2) training and continuing education of public health professionals must be strengthened; 3) forms of research capable of identifying and verifying linkages between human rights and health must be developed; 4) work on human rights requires a willingness to deal with values. Work in these areas can expand and advance a health and human rights agenda for HIV/AIDS prevention control and care.