International Health Law. Solidarity and justice in health care

In the twenty-first century, complex health care problems have remained
unsolved. Conflicts between public interests and individual rights,
evolving public health crises in low income countries, the challenge of
regulating health professionals, and the effects of globalisation on health
(care systems) dominate the contemporary debates in this field. In a way,
these problems expose the (regulatory) weaknesses of health systems
responding to these questions. Facing these problems, health lawyers
and policy makers should – more than in the past – focus on underlying
normative values in health care. Core values include solidarity and
justice in health care access.

This book explores the underlying normative values
of health systems from a global and local perspective. Apart from
examining country experiences, the authors provide an interesting and
valuable contribution to the (inter)national legal and health policy debate
on guaranteeing equal access to health care facilities, resisting a market
or consumer-driven movement.

By explaining health systems in terms of access, solidarity and justice,
International Health Law could contribute strengthening health systems,
including equal access.

André den Exter is a lecturer in health law at the Erasmus
University Rotterdam.