DOCSLIB.ORG

The Right to Health

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Right to Health THE RIGHT TO HEALTH: LEGAL CONTENT THROUGH SUPRANATIONAL MONITORING Ph.D thesis Ph.D candidate: Claire Marie Valérie Lougarre University College London: Faculty of Laws Supervisors: Professor Colm O’Cinneide, Dr Jeff King Declaration I, Claire Lougarre confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. i Abstract Whilst economic, social and cultural rights benefit from a better protection worldwide than when they were first recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, they remain criticised for being too vague and, thus, not legally enforceable. This is particularly relevant to the right to health, since it embraces complex ethical, economic and legal issues often calling into question its substance. Such criticisms, nonetheless, threaten its implementation: how can key actors contribute to realising a right of which they do not understand the meaning? This thesis, therefore, aims at clarifying what the human right to health entails, and will focus on how this can be done through supranational monitoring. Mandated to supervise the implementation of human rights instruments, supranational human rights bodies (SNHRBs) embody the most authoritative interpretation of the right to health. When evaluating whether or not states comply with their obligations and when justifying why, SNHRBs effectively delineate the legal content of this right. Therefore, this thesis will analyse how SNHRBs contribute to clarifying the legal content of the right to health in the course of their quasi-judicial monitoring procedures, and how their interpretation can be optimised for that purpose. I will particularly study the interpretation of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (United Nations) and the European Committee of Social Rights (Council of Europe), for they are the most illustrative of how supranational monitoring of the right to health feeds into its substance, and vice versa. Such comparative analysis will enable me to develop a theoretical account assisting SNHRBs in interpreting the legal content of the right to health more clearly, to highlight ‘best practice’, and to discuss compatibility between universal and regional standards. As a result, this thesis lies primarily in international human rights law but will also involve aspects of public international law and, modestly, public health. ii Table of contents INTRODUCTION 1 The object of the thesis 1 The scope of the thesis 6 The methodology of the thesis 10 The narrative of the thesis 18 PART I: THE RIGHT TO HEALTH IN SEARCH OF CONCEPTUAL CLARITY 20 Chapter 1 Introductory remarks: the relevance and vagueness of the right to health in international human rights law 21 Introduction 21 1.1 The right to health, a right historically relevant for human rights law 22 1.2 The right to health, a right vaguely defined in human rights law 42 Conclusion 56 Chapter 2 The interpretation of Article 12 ICESCR by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: conceptual clarity, a long way to go 58 Introduction 58 2.1 The right to health in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 60 2.2 The normative scope of the right to health: unclear standards 66 2.3 States’ obligations to realise the right to health: unclear framework 81 2.4 Critical overview 97 Conclusion 102 Chapter 3 The interpretation of Article 11 ESC by the European Committee of Social Rights: attempts of clarification 104 Introduction 104 3.1 The right to health in the European Social Charter 106 3.2 The normative scope of the right to health: the recognition of express obligations in the jurisprudence of the committee 112 3.3 States’ obligations to realise the right to health: recognition of implied obligations in the methodology of the committee 122 3.4 Critical overview 135 Conclusion 145 PART I: CONCLUDING REMARKS 147 iii PART II: THE RIGHT TO HEALTH TOWARDS FURTHER CONCEPTUAL CLARITY 149 Chapter 4 Clarifying the normative scope of the right to health in supranational monitoring 150 Introduction 150 4.1 The right to an adequate health system (the scope of interests) 151 4.2 The right to a health system responsive to its cultural environment (the scope of application) 176 4.3 The right to a health system accessible to all (the scope of protection) 187 Conclusion 201 Chapter 5 Clarifying states’ obligations to realise the right to health in supranational monitoring 203 Introduction 203 5.1 The obligation to progressively realise the right to health 205 5.2 Minimum core obligations to realise the right to health and reasonableness test 244 Conclusion 262 Chapter 6 Concluding remarks: key challenges to conceptual clarity across SNHRBs 264 Introduction 264 6.1 Fragmentation of human rights law and harmonising the normative scope of the right to health 266 6.2 Diversity of quasi-judicial monitoring avenues and adapting the review of states’ obligations to practical realities 285 6.3 Enforcement and SNHRBs’ limits in giving life to their own interpretation 300 Conclusion 303 PART II: CONCLUDING REMARKS 305 CONCLUSION 307 DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS 313 APPENDIX 317 BIBLIOGRAPHY 319 iv Acknowledgments I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Mr Colm O’Cinneide and Dr Jeff King, for their invaluable help and guidance throughout the PhD programme and in the writing of this thesis. This thesis could not have been written without the guidance of Mr O’Cinneide. His time, attention, and experience as a member of the European Committee of Social Rights helped me enormously in refining my arguments, and greatly inspired me to carry out this project to its fullest potential, even in the tough times. This thesis could not have been written either without the guidance of Dr King, whose comments and support were given with much generosity, which considerably helped me to shape my legal thoughts and writing. I am deeply indebted to them. I would also like to thank George Letsas, Virginia Mantouvalou, Maria Lee, and Fiona Smith, for their kind assistance in my early years as a PhD student in UCL Laws. Dr Letsas, for his interest in my project and precious advice when I started the PhD programme in UCL Laws. Dr Mantouvalou, Professor Lee, and Dr Smith, for allowing me to attend and contribute to their modules in European Human Rights Law and Global Health Governance as a PhD student. Their teaching and research have become a source of inspiration. I would also like to thank Professor Jonathan Montgomery, for his sharp insight and invaluable experience in healthcare law. During the final year of my PhD, I started working in Southampton Law School and I could not write this page of acknowledgments without expressing my deep gratitude to several colleagues. Adrian, John and Matthew, for their invaluable support; and Harry, Marta, Natasha, and Paul, for their presence. Many thanks should also be expressed to the four members of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights who shared their views and opinions on the monitoring of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Their time and insight was determinant in writing this thesis. Many thanks also to Maya, who greatly assisted my venue to Geneva and the organisation of these interviews. v Numerous pages in this thesis owe to the precious feedback provided by members of the network ESRAN-UKI, as several chapters became source of discussion in our workshops. Thanks to all its members, and in particular thanks to Professor Aoife Nolan for her advice and friendship. I would also like to thank the vibrant research community in UCL Laws. Academics, PhD fellows, as well as attendants and participants to the PhD WPF forum that Ilias and I created in 2014, paved the way for fascinating debates and broadened my horizons on legal scholarship. More particularly, the friendship of Carlos, Carrie, Ilias, Joe, Larissa, Noam, and Putri, has been and remains a source of mutual support at all times. Special thanks should be expressed to my native friends Conor, Deirdre, Edel, and Joe, who proofread this thesis. A tedious task that they had the extreme kindness to perform. I am also grateful to my friend Gabriella, for so generously giving her time translating this research into an artistic piece. Mathilde and Tiphaine should also be thanked, for they have and will always be very dear friends, in the best and the worst of times. I am forever indebted to my parents Laure and Philippe, who have been an endless source of love and support during this programme, and to my sister Cécile. They are my three guardian angels. Finally, not a single page of this thesis could have been written without the unconditional support of my partner Gearóid. His love, kindness, patience and humour were jewels through the tears and joys brought by this project. I will never be able to thank him enough. vi List of abbreviations AAAQ Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality of healthcare African Charter African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights African Commission African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights CoE Council of Europe CPR Civil and Political Rights ESC European Social Charter ESCR Economic, Social and Cultural Rights European Committee European Committee of Social Rights FGM Female Genital Mutilation GC14 UN General Comment 14 ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICMW International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Legislative Regulation of Traditional Medicinal Knowledge in Eritrea
    Law Environment and Development JournalLEAD LEGISLATIVE REGULATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE IN ERITREA VIS-À-VIS ERITREA’S COMMITMENTS UNDER THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES Senai W. Andemariam ARTICLE VOLUME 6/2 LEAD Journal (Law, Environment and Development Journal) is a peer-reviewed academic publication based in New Delhi and London and jointly managed by the School of Law, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) - University of London and the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC). LEAD is published at www.lead-journal.org ISSN 1746-5893 The Managing Editor, LEAD Journal, c/o International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC), International Environment House II, 1F, 7 Chemin de Balexert, 1219 Châtelaine-Geneva, Switzerland, Tel/fax: + 41 (0)22 79 72 623, [email protected] ARTICLE LEGISLATIVE REGULATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE IN ERITREA VIS-À-VIS ERITREA’S COMMITMENTS UNDER THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES Senai W. Andemariam This document can be cited as Senai W. Andemariam, ‘Legislative Regulation of Traditional Medicinal Knowledge in Eritrea vis-à-vis Eritrea’s Commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity: Issues and Alternatives’ 6/2 Law, Environment and Development Journal (2010), p. 130, available at http://www.lead-journal.org/content/10130.pdf Senai W. Andemariam, Lecturer of Law, Department of Law, College of Arts and Social Sciences, P. O. Box 601 Asmara, Eritrea, Tel. +291-7-166605, email: [email protected] Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 License TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Global Developments on Protection and Development of Traditional Medicinal Knowledge 133 1.1 Introduction 133 1.2 Interests Involved in Harnessing Traditional knowledge/Traditional Medicine 133 1.2.1 Sociological or Belief Interest 134 1.2.2 Economic Interest 134 1.2.3 Environmental Interest 134 1.2.4 Intellectual Property Interest 134 1.3 International Efforts to Protect and Harness Traditional Medicine 135 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Halldór Laxness - Wikipedia
    People of Iceland on Iceland Postage Stamps Halldór Laxness - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halldór_Laxness Halldór Laxness Halldór Kiljan Laxness (Icelandic: [ˈhaltour ˈcʰɪljan ˈlaxsnɛs] Halldór Laxness ( listen); born Halldór Guðjónsson; 23 April 1902 – 8 February 1998) was an Icelandic writer. He won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature; he is the only Icelandic Nobel laureate.[2] He wrote novels, poetry, newspaper articles, essays, plays, travelogues and short stories. Major influences included August Strindberg, Sigmund Freud, Knut Hamsun, Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, Bertolt Brecht and Ernest Hemingway.[3] Contents Early years 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s Born Halldór Guðjónsson Later years 23 April 1902 Family and legacy Reykjavík, Iceland Bibliography Died 8 February 1998 Novels (aged 95) Stories Reykjavík, Iceland Plays Poetry Nationality Icelandic Travelogues and essays Notable Nobel Prize in Memoirs awards Literature Translations 1955 Other Spouses Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir References (m. 1930–1940) External links [1] Auður Sveinsdóttir (m. 1945–1998) Early years Laxness was born in 1902 in Reykjavík. His parents moved to the Laxnes farm in nearby Mosfellssveit parish when he was three. He started to read books and write stories at an early age. He attended the technical school in Reykjavík from 1915 to 1916 and had an article published in the newspaper Morgunblaðið in 1916.[4] By the time his first novel was published (Barn náttúrunnar, 1919), Laxness had already begun his travels on the European continent.[5] 1 of 9 2019/05/19, 11:59 Halldór Laxness - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halldór_Laxness 1920s In 1922, Laxness joined the Abbaye Saint-Maurice-et-Saint-Maur in Clervaux, Luxembourg where the monks followed the rules of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
    [Show full text]
  • Unfpa Annual Report
    2007 unfpa annual report The Mission of UNFPA UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal United Nations Population Fund opportunity. Information and External Relations Division UNFPA supports countries in using population 220 East 42nd Street, 23rd floor New York, NY 10017 U.S.A. data for policies and programmes to reduce Tel: +1 (212) 297-5020 poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young www.unfpa.org person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA—because everyone counts. Contents ii Foreword Photos: by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations Cover: © Live Images/UNFPA A mother and child at an AIDS Day celebration in San José, Costa Rica. iii Overview Foreword: © Mark Garten/United Nations by Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations Executive Director of UNFPA Overview: © Eskinder Debebe/United Nations Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA 01 I Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood: © Carina Wint for 07 II Culture, Gender and Human Rights UNFPA A UNFPA-supported maternity clinic on the outskirts of Portoviejo, 11 III Helping in Emergencies Ecuador. Culture, Gender and Human Rights: © Don Hinrichsen/UNFPA 15 IV Poverty, Population and Development Women in front of a UNFPA-supported women’s centre and shelter run by the Mauritanian Association for Mother and Child Health in 19 V Building Support Nouakchott, Mauritania.
    [Show full text]
  • Eritrea's Story: Progress in Health in Eritrea
    ERITREA'S STORY: Progress in health in Eritrea: Cost-effective inter- sectoral interventions and a long-term perspective Romina Rodríguez Pose and Fiona Samuels Development Progress Development Progress Development Progress Development Progress Development Progress Progress in health in Eritrea: Cost-effective inter-sectoral interventions and a long-term perspective Key messages 1. Despite profound poverty, Eritrea is expected to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in health in general and in child health in particular. Areas of achievement include: infant and child mortality rates; immunisation coverage; malaria mortality and morbidity; and HIV prevalence. 2. Eritreans’ commitment, both at home and abroad, to the development of health and education is led by the government, which at the same time retains tight control of programmes and policies. 3. Out of necessity, Eritreans’ experience in adapting to adverse circumstances has given them the capacity to develop innovative multi-sectoral approaches to health. In addition, community involvement has enabled improved health-seeking behaviours as well as widespread buy-in. Development Progress stories “Eritrea is one of the few countries expected to achieve the MDGs in health, in child health in particular.” Summary What has been achieved? Two-thirds of Eritrea’s population lives below the national Eritrea is a country facing significant development poverty line, and the vast majority in rural areas. The rugged challenges. Its political system remains largely closed topography and harsh climate, coupled with the 30-year and basic human freedoms are by no means secure.1 war of independence, have led to widespread economic Eritrea has, nevertheless, achieved remarkable progress in hardship and food insecurity.
    [Show full text]
  • Use of Antimicrobials and Carriage of Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococci in Children
    Use of Antimicrobials and Carriage of Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococci in Children Repeated cross-sectional studies covering 10 years Vilhjalmur Ari Arason PhD Thesis University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine October 2006 From Department of Family Medicine, University of Iceland, Primary Healthcare Centre of Solvangur and Healthcare Centre Fjördur, IS-220 Hafnarfjördur, Iceland Use of Antimicrobials and Carriage of Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococci in Children Repeated cross-sectional studies covering 10 years Vilhjalmur Ari Arason Supervisor Johann A. Sigurdsson Co-supervisor Karl G. Kristinsson PhD committee: Thorolfur Gudnason (chair), Directorate of Health, Iceland Johann A. Sigurdsson, University of Iceland Vilhjalmur Rafnsson, University of Iceland Magnus Johannsson, University of Iceland Haraldur Briem, Directorate of Health, Iceland Reykjavík 2006 Vilhjálmur Ari Arason: Use of Antimicrobials and Carriage of Penicillin-resistant Pneumococci in Children. Repeated cross-sectional studies covering 10 years The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author. Háskólaútgáfan Reykjavík 2006 ©Vilhjálmur Ari Arason e-mail: [email protected] Umbrot: Þröstur Haraldsson Prentun og bókband: Leturprent ISBN 9979-70-157-9 ISBN 978-9979-70-157-6 ÁGRIP Notkun sýklalyfja og beratíðni penicillín ónæmra pneumókokka hjá börnum – Endurteknar þversniðsrannsóknir á 10 ára tímabili Vilhjálmur Ari Arason Heimilislæknisfræði, Háskóla Íslands, Heilsugæsla höfuðborgar- svæð­isins, Sólvangur og Fjörð­ur, Hafnarfirð­i, Íslandi. Tilgangur: Að athuga notkun sýklalyfja meðal forskólabarna á Ís- landi og meta hugsanlegt samband slíkrar notkunar við beratíðni penicillín ónæmra pneumókokka í nefkoki þeirra. Efniviður og aðferðir: Upplýsingar voru fengnar hjá foreldrum og úr sjúkraskrám heilsugæslustöðva um sýklalyfjaávísanir 2.612 barna á aldrinum 1-6 ára sem bjuggu á mismunandi stöðum á landinu.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    THE YOUTH IN ICELAND MODEL AND ICELANDIC ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH by Katerina Maria Gaudio De Vito Dissertation Committee: Professor John P. Allegrante, Sponsor Professor Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education Date May 22, 2019 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Teachers College, Columbia University 2019 ABSTRACT THE YOUTH IN ICELAND MODEL AND ICELANDIC ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH Katerina Maria Gaudio De Vito Over the last 20 years, Iceland has made major progress in reducing substance use among its youth. Many credit this impressive reduction to implementation of the Youth in Iceland (YiI) Model. YiI programming aims to prevent substance use by increasing youth social support through strengthening family relationships, peer relationships, community connection, and community engagement. It involves a wide variety of relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, teachers, parents, and youth workers. Specific programming ranges from recreational sports teams to parental neighborhood watches. While studies have indicated that YiI programming has greatly reduced substance use among youth, new data have suggested that mental health problems are rising among Icelandic adolescents. Despite an increase in the prevalence of mental health problems, no studies have explored the impact of YiI programming on Icelandic youth mental health. This mixed-methods project consisted of three studies that evaluated the effect of YiI Model programming on Icelandic adolescent mental health. In the first study, a secondary data analysis of cross-sectional YiI Survey data of all 8th to 10th grade students enrolled in Icelandic public schools was performed to explore the relationship between the YiI Model components and self-reported mental illness symptoms.
    [Show full text]
  • International Journal of African Development, Vol. 5, Issue 2
    International Journal of African Development Volume 5 Issue 2 Spring 2019 Article 1 June 2019 International Journal of African Development, Vol. 5, Issue 2 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ijad Part of the African Studies Commons, Growth and Development Commons, and the International Economics Commons Recommended Citation (2019) "International Journal of African Development, Vol. 5, Issue 2," International Journal of African Development: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ijad/vol5/iss2/1 This Complete Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for African Development Policy Research at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of African Development by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact wmu- [email protected]. International Journal of African Development Volume 5, Issue 2, Spring 2019 IJAD International Journal of African Development Vol. 5 Issue 2, Spring 2019 Western Michigan University College of Arts & Sciences Department of Economics and Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR) Editorial Management Team 2019 Chief Editor, Sisay Asefa, PhD, Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for African Development Policy Research, Western Michigan University Managing Editor, Amos Aduroja, PhD, MPH, FASHA, Associate Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs, Western Michigan University Copy Editor, Gari
    [Show full text]
  • Statistics on Patient Mobility in the Nordic Countries
    Statistics on Patient Mobility in the Nordic Countries NOMESCO Nordic Medico Statistical Committee 107:2017 Statistics on patient mobility in the Nordic countries - Pre-study Project leader Research Professor Mika Gissler chairman of NOMESCO in 2016 Co-manager Timo A. Tanninen chairman of NOSOSCO, the Nordic Social Statistical Committee in 2016 Project- Pia Blomqvist and Eija Luoto assistants The National Institute for Health and Welfare Editorial team Mika Gissler, Timo A. Tanninen, Pia Blomqvist and Eija Luoto National experts: Denmark Pernille Christensen The Danish Health Data Authority Greenland Sonja Vestergaard The National Board of Health, Greenland Finland Mika Gissler The National Institute of Health and Welfare Timo A. Tanninen Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Åland Ulla-Liisa Latvala The Government of Åland Islands Iceland Guðrún Kr Guðfinnsdóttir and Agnes Gisladóttir Directorate of Health, Iceland Norway Lisbeth Smeby Norwegian Directorate of Health Sweden Ingalill Paulsson Lütz The National Board of Health and Welfare © Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee Copenhagen 2017 ISBN 978–87-89702-91-9 Preface Preface This pre-study was prepared with the help of NOMESCO, the Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee. The principal purpose of the Committee is to produce comparable health statistics on the Nordic countries, but it also conducts investigations to support the development of compiling statistics as necessary and commissions thematic studies contributing to its sphere of operations (see www.nowbase.org). In accordance with the mandate received from the Nordic Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs, NOMESCO set up a joint Nordic project group for this project in March 2016. All countries nominated their national experts and the project was lead by Finland.
    [Show full text]
  • How Primary Healthcare in Iceland Swiftly Changed Its Strategy in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Open access Original research BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043151 on 7 December 2020. Downloaded from How primary healthcare in Iceland swiftly changed its strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Emil Larus Sigurdsson ,1,2 Anna Bryndis Blondal,2,3 Jon Steinar Jonsson,1,2 Margret Olafia Tomasdottir,1,2 Hannes Hrafnkelsson,1 Kristjan Linnet ,2 Johann Agust Sigurdsson4 To cite: Sigurdsson EL, ABSTRACT Strengths and limitations of this study Blondal AB, Jonsson JS, et al. Objective To describe how the primary healthcare (PHC) How primary healthcare in in Iceland changed its strategy to handle the COVID-19 ► The data are based on medical records of all con- Iceland swiftly changed its pandemic. strategy in response to the tacts to the primary healthcare centres. Design Descriptive observational study. COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open ► The primary healthcare in the research area serve Setting Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. 2020;10:e043151. doi:10.1136/ the whole capital area which counts two- thirds of Population The Reykjavik area has a total of 233 000 bmjopen-2020-043151 the population of Iceland. inhabitants. ► The contact register information is very reliable and ► Prepublication history for Main outcome measures The number and the mode comprehensive. this paper is available online. of consultations carried out. Drug prescriptions and To view these files, please visit ► Due to the short study period, that is, 2 months, we changes in the 10 most common diagnoses made in the journal online (http:// dx. doi. were not able to depict the long-term changes in PHC.
    [Show full text]
  • An Exploration of Skin Lightening in Eritrea
    “Tsada Getzu, Tsada Libu (White Face, White Heart)”: An Exploration of Skin Lightening in Eritrea by Fikrejesus Amahazion, Ph.D. [email protected] Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Department of Political Science and International Relations, National College of Arts and Social Sciences Adi Keih, Eritrea Abstract This paper represents an analysis of skin lightening through interviews, focus group discussions, and survey questionnaires with informants in Eritrea. Findings suggest that skin lightening is increasingly popular with many individuals, particularly females, and that those engaging in skin lightening primarily use creams, lotions, soaps, and homemade mixes consisting of natural ingredients. As with many other countries, skin lightening in Eritrea is associated with a number of different factors. It is recommended that national policymakers consider enacting legislation or developing guidelines to regulate skin lightening products and its ingredients, while public awareness of the significant health risks associated with the use of lightening products is also advocated. Introduction A centuries old practice, skin lightening is the use of injections, topical ointments, creams, lotions, gels, soaps, oral formulations, and household chemicals to de-pigment or lighten skin complexion, produce an even skin tone, and remove blemishes, freckles, or scars (de Souza 2008: 28; Jablonski 2012; Street, Gaska, Lewis, and Wilson 2014: 53).1 Today, skin lightening is a multi-billion dollar, globalized industry, and over the past several decades it has emerged as an increasingly popular practice in many parts of the world (Charles 2003; Coopernov 2016; Glenn 2008). 236 Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.11, no.1, December 2017 Skin lightening is often driven by an array of factors, including the structural and societal elevation of light skin, as well as dermatological issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlocking the Full Potential of Landspítali
    FOREWORD After the Icelandic financial crisis in 2008, public spending on healthcare was cut from ISK 153 billion in 2008 to 134 billion in 2012 (at fixed price 2014) due to the state of public finances. As public finances have recovered in recent years, public healthcare costs have increased again, rising from 134 billion in 2012 to 143 billion in 2015 (at fixed price 2014). During this tumultuous time, healthcare cost in general and Landspítali´s financial situation in particular has been a subject of vigorous public debate. The debate intensified in 2015 and as a result, the Icelandic government made a decision in the fall of 2015 to conduct a review of the operational and financial efficiency of Landspítali resulting in this report. This report has been commissioned by the Ministry of Welfare, with baseline interviews, analysis and synthesis performed by McKinsey & Company in close collaboration with representatives from the Ministry of Welfare, the Directorate of Health and Landspítali National University Hospital. Underlying data regarding Landspítali has been extracted and analyzed in collaboration with the finance department at Landspítali. The review has been performed without any political or financial attachments, and has been conducted on a best-effort basis given the timeline and available data. The focus of the review has been on Landspítali’s production, cost effectiveness, and labor force effectiveness, as well as resource utilization and quality of outcomes. In addition, some of the system dynamics relevant to Landspítali have been considered, such as the interplay with the primary care and private specialist systems. The analysis is structured and presented as four strategic themes most closely related to Landspítali´s performance, and one section that covers the Icelandic healthcare system as a whole.
    [Show full text]
  • General Information Sheet - SEEDS Workcamps
    General Information Sheet - SEEDS Workcamps Workcamps Season 2013 www.seeds.is [email protected] This is the General Information Sheet for SEEDS workcamps in 2013. You will receive a specific information sheet about your workcamp alongside this. It is important that you read BOTH information sheets (specific and general) before you come to Iceland, to be fully prepared for your time here and your participation in SEEDS’ workcamps. Contents: 1. About SEEDS 2. SEEDS & Participation fees - Where your contributions go! 3. SEEDS workcamps - Life during a SEEDS workcamp 3.1 Team Structure 3.2 The Work 3.3 Food and Accommodation 3.4 Free Time & Excursions from Reykjavík 3.5 Transport to/from workcamps 3.6 Conditions of Participation 4. What to bring with you 5. Insurance - EEA and non EEA 6. Travel to Iceland & Reykjavík 7. Arrival and Departure dates 8. Accommodation (in Reykjavík) 9. Other Practical Information 10. If you have any problems…. 1. About SEEDS Founded in 2005, SEEDS Iceland is an Icelandic non-governmental, non-profit volunteer organisation designed to promote intercultural understanding, environmental protection and awareness through work on environmental, social and cultural projects within Iceland. SEEDS works closely with local communities, local authorities and other Icelandic associations both to develop projects in partnership, aimed at fulfilling an identified need, and to give vital assistance to established initiatives. Projects are designed to be mutually beneficial to all involved: the volunteers, the local hosting communities and Iceland as a whole. Our projects in Iceland are supported by the local hosts and the volunteers participating in the project themselves; additionally we receive strong support for our long-term projects from the Youth In Action and Lifelong learning programmes of the European Commission.
    [Show full text]