Health equality and the right to health

This course introduces the linkages between public health and human rights, with a special focus on health inequalities, injustices and the right to health.The course has three main themes: 1\. Philosophical and theoretical foundations: which introduces the philosophical foundations of human rights and the right to health, theories related to social structure and position as they relate to health equality and injustice (e.g. gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic). Also, questions of distributive justice in public health is discussed. 2\. Legal standards and frameworks: which addresses the relationship between human rights and public health, including potential tensions between individual rights and public health goals, non-discrimination and the rights of specific groups, as well as and the right to health as a legal standard. 3\. Theory and standards into practice: which raises the challenges and opportunities involved in translating human rights theory and legal standards into public health policy and interventions. The course adopts a problem-based learning perspective, requiring critical and strategic thinking, and includes mix of lectures, group work, debates and discussions. Lectures are given in English, but students who take the course as a freestanding course may submit assignments in Swedish.