Human rights and the social determinants of health

This presentation will summarize the proceedings of the Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy at Northeastern University School of Law's 2012 Institute on Human Rights and the Social Determinants of Health. This Institute was convened to explore ways that the human rights-based and public health advocacy communities could collaborate on addressing health outcome disparities through action on the social determinants of health (“SDOH”) here in the United States. The SDOH include access to nutritious food, early education, secure housing, clean water, adequate sanitation, decent work and universal health care. These correlate closely to economic, social and cultural rights (“ESCR”) recognized in various international treaties. Applying a human rights-based approach to the SDOH has the potential to reduce inequities in health outcomes. Similarly, the holistic approach and the evidence-based SDOH perspective could advance the implementation of ESCR. Although both the rights-based and public health advocacy communities can benefit from working more closely together to improve health outcomes, this connection has proven elusive. Our Institute was designed to bring these two communities together to discuss advocacy approaches that might build on the strengths of the two disciplines. Specifically, participants were encouraged to begin to develop strategies to address health outcome disparities that are prevalent in the United States. In doing so, participants looked at the wide-range of socio–economic factors that promote conditions for healthy lives. This presentation will discuss the Institute proceedings and make recommendations for future collaboration between the human rights-based advocacy community and the public health community.