Communicable Diseases and Human Rights

Abstract:

Despite higher standards of living, better nutrition, sanitary improvements, the development of drugs and vaccines and a profound scientific understanding of the ways they spread, communicable diseases are still leading killers. In 2001, communicable diseases caused no less than 14.7 million deaths, being 26% of total global mortality.

Three diseases – HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis – count for 39% of deaths as a result of communicable diseases. But not only the mortality rate should be taken into account, just as important are the morbidity figures: almost 1 billion people suffer from severe and permanent disabilities and deformities caused by communicable diseases.

Communicable diseases are not just horrors of the past, but equally of the present, and old and new diseases will sweep us in the future. We will never be free from them, but measures can be taken to detect outbreaks at the earliest moment possible and to contain epidemics as much as possible. This requires effective surveillance systems, timely application of control measures and increased (public health and other) resources to be mobilized. And here human rights come into play.