Public Lecture -"Why the European Union? European values of health care"

15 March 2023

On March 15, at 20:00, a public lecture on the topic: "Why the European Union? European values of health care" was held in the Caucasus University book store "Librarea”, The lecture will be conducted by Tengiz Verulava, proffesor of Caucasus school of Medicine.

 

The European Health Values are health-related rights and obligations that reflect European history and identity.

 

Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union states that “The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States. The European Community supports social justice and respect for human dignity, and therefore its internal and external actions must strive to support these values. This is especially important in the field of health care, which is a key element in individual and social well-being."

 

A human rights approach is fundamental to European health values: "Regarding health, a rights-based approach means integrating human rights norms and principles into the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health-related policies and programs. This includes human dignity, attention to the needs and rights of vulnerable groups, and ensuring that health systems are accessible to all."

 

Today, in many countries, there is still a noticeable gap between what is demanded from the state and what is actually provided - and the poor suffer the most from these gaps. Article 2(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes that in some countries resources are limited and that the implementation of EU Treaty provisions takes time. Therefore, the right to health is considered a progressive exercise. However, the lack of resources cannot justify the failure of the state to fulfill its obligations to protect the right to health. When assessing the implementation of the right to health in a particular country, the question must be asked: Why has country X failed to provide the health services necessary to save the lives of its citizens? Or were there political and social forces in the country that did not want to prioritize such services?