Structural Violence Theory and Global Health

Human Rights and Global Health

Human rights is a principle based on the belief that every person should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their nationality, sex, ethnicity, religion, language, or any other status. Globally, human rights drive laws and ethics in many fields, including health care. They shape our understanding of who is entitled to what kind of care, and how health systems should operate to ensure equitable access to care.

The United Nations (UN) is one of the leading international bodies responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights globally. This mandate stems from the United Nations Charter, which was signed in 1945 by the founding UN member states. The charter outlines a commitment to promoting social progress, better living standards, and human rights. One of the most significant achievements of the UN in the field of human rights was the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The UDHR outlines fundamental human rights to be universally protected, and it has served as the foundation for a growing body of international human rights law (Hannum, 1995). The rights detailed in the UDHR include both civil and political rights, like the right to life, liberty, and freedom of expression, and economic, social, and cultural rights, like the right to work, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living. Since then, the UN has been active in promoting global health under the banner of protecting and promoting human rights.

Thus, the right to health is recognized in many international human rights treaties and is closely linked to the broader concept of the right to an adequate standard of living. The right to health means more than just access to health care. It also encompasses other factors that contribute to good health, like safe and clean drinking water, nutritious food, healthy working conditions, and a clean environment.

Access to health care for vulnerable populations is a key concern in the context of health and human rights. Vulnerable populations may include ethnic minorities, refugees and migrants, people living with disabilities, the elderly, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged (Rahman et al., 2021). Their access to health care can be compromised by a variety of factors, such as discrimination, social exclusion, economic inequalities, cultural beliefs, or health policies and systems that do not adequately account for their specific needs.

Culture, religion, and ethnicity can significantly affect the health of these populations. For instance, some cultural or religious beliefs may discourage seeking health care or complying with certain treatments. Ethnicity can affect health both directly, through genetic predispositions to certain diseases, and indirectly, through social determinants of health like poverty, education, and access to quality health care. The impact of culture, religion, and ethnicity on health can be explained through various social theories. Social determinants of health theory posits that the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system, are shaped by a wider set of forces: economics, social policies, and politics. This theory suggests that addressing these broader social determinants is key to achieving health equity.

Structural violence theory is another social theory that sheds light on these issues. It argues that social structures and institutions can harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs (Lee, 2016). For example, if a health system is designed in a way that excludes certain ethnic groups or does not account for the cultural and religious beliefs of a particular population, this could be considered a form of structural violence.