Health care is not a human right

EDITOR—The Tavistock Group has invited comments on its document on shared ethical principles.1 I would challenge its first major principle—that health care is a human right.

A human right is a moral right of paramount importance applicable to every human being. There are several reasons why health care should not be considered a human right.

Firstly, health care is difficult to define. It clearly encompasses preventive care (for example, immunisation), public health measures, health promotion, and medical and surgical treatment of established illness. …