Special Section: Health and Human Rights: Historical Perspectives and Political Challenges

Abstract

For those who consider collective health the platform upon which humanity can flourish, the relationship between human rights and health is crucial. The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a landmark in although not the foundation of the struggle for human life, dignity, and social protection. This is an important moment to reflect on the promise and precariousness of health and human rights efforts. International health agencies, policymakers, advocates, and activists increasingly invoke the health implications of human rights, but little attention has been paid to when, how, and by whom these connections have been forged. The two articles in this special section of the Journal of Public Health Policy address this issue from the perspective of international and, particularly, North American actors. The authors first presented their work at the Spirit of 1848 Caucus's Social History of Public Health session titled "Health & Human Rights: Critical historical perspectives from the Cold War to the New World Order," held during the American Public Health Association's 134th Annual Meeting, held in Boston in November 2006.