Monitoring the Right to Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health at the National Level: Some Considerations for African Governments
Comparative International Law Journal of Southern Africa, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 227-263, 2009
Posted: 4 Dec 2009 Last revised: 30 Dec 2009
Date Written: December 3, 2009
Abstract
This paper examines the relevance of using human rights indicators to monitor a state's obligations as regards the right to health including sexual and reproductive rights in Africa. Using some examples of sexual and reproductive rights issues such as access to HIV treatment, maternal health services and access to sexual health services for adolescents, the paper explores the importance of measuring human rights and the tools that can be used for this purpose. For example, the paper discusses the relevance of indicators, benchmarks and indices as tools for measuring human rights. It similarly explores the differences between human rights indicators and other forms of indicators such as those used for health and development. For instance, while human development indicators are concerned with expansion of peoples’ capabilities, human rights indicators are interested in assessing whether people are living in freedom and dignity. The paper further discusses what human rights indicators need to measure and the appropriate methodology that can be used for this purpose. It recommends the framework developed by an international non-governmental organization, Peoples’ Health Movement (PHM) as appropriate for monitoring the right to health including sexual and reproductive rights. It concludes by arguing that civil society groups and human rights institutions need to work together with African governments to ensure proper monitoring of sexual and reproductive rights at the national level.
Keywords: monitoring right to health, sexual and reprodutive health, indicators, African governments
JEL Classification: Health, General
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation