My Health - My Right

Praise be to Allah. Assalamu Alaikum.

Happy World Health Day to all of you.

Health stands as the most fundamental human right, for it underpins the very essence of human existence - birth, growth, life, and survival.

Observing the global landscape, it's evident that conflicts and offenses perpetrated by certain nations and groups jeopardize the well-being and lives of numerous innocent individuals. Furthermore, the degradation of the global environment resulting from human activities and the looming threat of climate change present a formidable challenge to health protection, particularly in island nations like ours, where both physical and mental health suffer adverse consequences. In this context, I wish to highlight the tragic deprivation of the right to safe health endured by innocent Palestinians, a violation starkly evident due to the inhumane actions of Israel, despite international agreements guaranteeing such rights.

'My Health - My Right' - The theme of this year’s World Health Day is this. The slogan emphasizes health as a right. From that perspective, we need to deeply and broadly consider health as a fundamental right.

Ensuring and maintaining health as a right and prioritizing health protection in all circumstances where this right may be violated is crucial. When health, social, and economic policies are shaped, it is essential to organize things with regard to health as a fundamental right.

Very often, it is thought that health or the right to health pertains only to healthcare and services available in hospitals and health centers. However, we often overlook the factors that lead to healthy or poor health and the roles different parties play in ensuring health as a right.

April 7th, World Health Day, as we celebrate "My Health is My Right," is an opportune moment for this discourse.

Maternal and child health-related issues, adequate nutrition for growth and health, clean drinking water and shelter, hygiene of home and personal life, cleanliness and safety of living and working environments, education and accurate information, social fabric, and economic activities - these are factors directly related to our physical and mental health. Each of these factors can have either a desirable or adverse effect on health depending on how they are managed. Therefore, to ensure and protect the right to health sustainably, these factors must be organized in a way that promotes health.

In this context, it's vital to acknowledge that every right entails a corresponding responsibility. Fulfilling these responsibilities includes making use of available vaccines and medicines for prevention, undergoing regular screenings for early disease detection, and seeking appropriate treatment in the event of illness. These actions are crucial for safeguarding the right to health.

The primary responsibility for ensuring and safeguarding health rests with the state. Numerous government institutions, with the Ministry of Health being foremost among them, play a significant role in the healthcare system..

It is the responsibility of the State to ensure that every individual has access to adequate and quality healthcare without discrimination, regardless of financial or physical challenges, wherever they reside.

Alongside international human rights declarations and treaties, the Constitution of Sri Lanka recognizes health as a fundamental right. It is incumbent upon the entire state, with the Ministry of Health leading the charge, to uphold this right.

Numerous tasks need to be organized and accomplished within the health sector, health policy, and the health service system to ensure the right to health. These include providing general health information, obtaining complete consent for treatment or early diagnosis, ensuring safekeeping of personal health information, providing services without discrimination and with respect, and maintaining dignity and human rights.

While there have been significant advancements in the healthcare sector in recent years, many essential tasks to fully ensure the right to health have not received adequate attention. The current government, under the leadership of the President and his long-term policy, is making positive changes in the health sector.

Efforts such as bringing services closer to the people, introducing preventive healthcare programs, medical checkups, changes in the healthcare system, establishing emergency health services, monitoring the health of foreign workers, and introducing new services are underway.

Indeed, the principle of "My Health - My Right" has been firmly established to ensure its full significance and durability. We remain committed to working tirelessly to extend the complete advantages of innovative changes to the health of our citizens.

The most important message I want to convey is that let us all work together to build a healthy society by fulfilling our responsibilities at the individual level to ensure the right to health and stay healthy.

Happy World Health Day to all of you once again. Wassalamu Alaikum.