Human Rights Based Approach

Human Rights Based Approach

Human rights are freedoms and entitlements of every human being. The right to health is a human right. In its long form, the right to health implies the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Human rights violations can result into ill health. Violence against women, harmful traditional practices are among the features that strongly link health and human rights. Health development and processes can promote or violate freedoms and entitlements of individuals in regard to discrimination, participation and accountability. The respect, promotion and fulfillment of human rights are the preconditions for reducing vulnerability to ill health. The promotion of the right to education can lead to better health through understanding information about reproductive health and rights, condom use and being able to make informed decisions on health matters that are founded on individual rights and freedoms.

Background

Tanzania has made significant efforts towards respecting, promoting and fulfilling of human rights. This is evidenced by its state membership to some economic, social and cultural based international agreements and the existence of human rights institutions such as the Commission for Human Rights and good Governance.

However, to date, inadequate standard of living i.e. poor sanitation, limited access to safe drinking water, inadequate nutritional intake, lack of health information, and limited access to basic health care, especially in rural areas are still major challenges facing the Tanzanian health sector. As these form an important link between the insufficient respect of human rights and ill health, there is an increasing need to address health challenges in a crosscutting approach.

In this aspect, human rights provide us with legally binding standards to which countries have committed themselves, by ratifying international human rights conventions. They constitute a common reference framework for both donor and partner countries, for governments, parliaments as well as for the civil society and the private sector.

Taking measures towards promoting the implementation of international human rights conventions is one of the commitments of the German Government through its Development Policy Action Plan on Human Rights of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The renewed emphasis put on the human rights approach coincides with the renewal of Primary Health Care. The relevant concepts of the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary health Care are indeed founded in the concept of health being a human right.

A human rights-based approach helps us to better reach our overarching goals i.e. poverty alleviation and MDG´s and programme objectives by addressing structural causes of poverty and including more systematically vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Approach

The incorporation of human rights into the TGPSH is centered on increasing and disseminating of information on health rights and services, especially in the area of sexual and reproductive health. This is to enhance a better understanding of rights and available protection measures against threats facing especially vulnerable groups. Further, TGPSH intends to progress the quality of services by enhancing the capacity of duty bearers through strengthening aspects related to quality of health care such as health ethics and modular training course on district health management. Affordability to health services for the poor is enhanced through the support of the pro poor health financing models. For more information, please, have a look at the TGPSH Health Financing web pages.

Additionally TGPSH intends to further networking with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) so as to bring up gaps in health legislations and policies to the attention of the respective sectors at the national level

Activities

The consideration of human rights principles in TGPSH is reflected in the routine work of the programme components. The crosscutting challenges facing each component are addressed on all levels and are integrated in carrying out the activities of the relevant outputs.