ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom may soon become a world leader in forging a smoke-free generation. Last month, the country passed a bill that bans the sale of cigarettes to anyone born in 2009 or later. The prime minister claims the policy will "phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040." A final vote by Parliament is expected next month. Tobacco claims 8 million lives every year, and could claim a billion lives over this century-mostly in low- and middle-income countries. For every person that dies, at least 30 more suffer from smokingrelated chronic disease. The benefits of a tobacco-free society would be transformational.
Subject(s)
Tobacco Products , Humans , United Kingdom , Tobacco Products/legislation & jurisprudence , Smoke-Free Policy/legislation & jurisprudence , Smoking Prevention/legislation & jurisprudence , SmokingABSTRACT
The World Health Organization (WHO) was born as a normative agency and has looked to global health law to structure collective action to realize global health with justice. Framed by its constitutional authority to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health, WHO has long been seen as the central actor in the development and implementation of global health law. However, WHO has faced challenges in advancing law to prevent disease and promote health over the past 75 years, with global health law constrained by new health actors, shifting normative frameworks, and soft law diplomacy. These challenges were exacerbated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as states neglected international legal commitments in national health responses. Yet, global health law reforms are now underway to strengthen WHO governance, signaling a return to lawmaking for global health. Looking back on WHO's 75th anniversary, this article examines the central importance of global health law under WHO governance, reviewing the past successes, missed opportunities, and future hopes for WHO. For WHO to meet its constitutional authority to become the normative agency it was born to be, we offer five proposals to reestablish a WHO fit for purpose: normative instruments, equity and human rights mainstreaming, sustainable financing, One Health, and good governance. Drawing from past struggles, these reforms will require further efforts to revitalize hard law authorities in global health, strengthen WHO leadership across the global governance landscape, uphold equity and rights at the center of global health law, and expand negotiations in global health diplomacy.
ABSTRACT
This JAMA Forum discusses the topics of reproductive rights, transgender care, firearm safety, and COVID-19 vaccines in the context of public health and the political climate in the US.
Subject(s)
Public Health , Culture , PoliticsABSTRACT
This Viewpoint discusses the history behind the right to physical and mental health in the US and the right to receive care during medical emergencies under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, and argues that abortion is health care.
Subject(s)
Abortion, Induced , Delivery of Health Care , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Abortion, Spontaneous , Health FacilitiesABSTRACT
This Viewpoint discusses the importance of safeguarding health access in times armed conflict worldwide and the need to bolster compliance with international humanitarian law.
Subject(s)
Armed Conflicts , Health Services Accessibility , International Law , Public Health , Warfare , Armed Conflicts/legislation & jurisprudence , Warfare/legislation & jurisprudence , Public Health/legislation & jurisprudence , Middle East , Health Services Accessibility/legislation & jurisprudence , Internationality , Attitude to Health , AltruismABSTRACT
Global health has long been characterized by injustice, with certain populations marginalized and made vulnerable by social, economic, and health disparities within and among countries. The pandemic only amplified inequalities. In response to it, the World Health Organization and the United Nations have embarked on transformative normative and financial reforms that could reimagine pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR). These reforms include a new strategy to sustainably finance the WHO, a UN political declaration on PPPR, a fundamental revision to the International Health Regulations, and negotiation of a new, legally binding pandemic agreement (popularly called the "Pandemic Treaty"). We revisit the cavernous shortcomings of the global Covid-19 response, explain potentially transformative legal reforms and the ethical values that underpin them, and propose actionable solutions to advance both health and justice.
Subject(s)
Global Health , Pandemics , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , World Health Organization , Social Justice , United NationsABSTRACT
This JAMA Forum discusses the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organization, political declarations of the United Nations, and a pandemic agreement proposed by the World Health Assembly and suggests 5 reforms that could improve pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
Subject(s)
Global Health , Pandemics , Pandemics/prevention & control , World Health Organization , International CooperationABSTRACT
This Viewpoint discusses how poor indoor air quality can affect health and examines the Model State Indoor Air Quality Act, which provides science-based regulatory standards aimed at ensuring public indoor environments provide healthy air.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution, Indoor , Environmental Policy , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects , Air Pollution, Indoor/legislation & jurisprudence , Air Pollution, Indoor/prevention & control , Environmental Monitoring , Environmental Policy/legislation & jurisprudence , United StatesABSTRACT
This Viewpoint evaluates the legal claims and policy implications of historic drug price negotiations possible with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Subject(s)
Drug Costs , Medicare , Prescription Drugs , Drug Costs/legislation & jurisprudence , Medicare/economics , Medicare/legislation & jurisprudence , Negotiating , Prescription Drugs/economics , Prescriptions , United StatesABSTRACT
This article highlights and evaluates the role of CEPI and its contribution to global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines through its established partnerships for vaccine development. The article adds to the understanding of how and when such partnerships can work for public health, especially under emergency citations.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Epidemics , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19 Vaccines , Public HealthABSTRACT
This JAMA Forum discusses state-level abortion restrictions and protections, emergency care, abortion medication, and abortion counseling 1 year after the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade.
Subject(s)
Abortion, Induced , Abortion, Spontaneous , Pregnancy , Female , Humans , Abortion, LegalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognising the sacrifice of health and care workers alongside discrimination, violence, poor working conditions and other violations of their rights, health and safety, in 2021 the World Health Assembly requested WHO to develop a global health and care worker compact, building on existing normative documentation, to provide guidance to 'protect health and care workers and safeguard their rights'. METHODS: A review of existing international law and other normative documents was conducted. We manually searched five main sets of international instruments: (1) International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations; (2) WHO documents; (3) United Nations (UN) human rights treaties and related documents; (4) UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and (5) the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols. We included only legal or other normative documents with a global or regional focus directly addressing or relevant to health and care workers or workers overall. RESULTS: More than 70 documents met our search criteria. Collectively, they fell into four domains, within which we identified 10 distinct areas: (1) preventing harm, encompassing (A) occupational hazards, (B) violence and harassment and (C) attacks in situations of fragility, conflict and violence; (2) inclusivity, encompassing (A) non-discrimination and equality; (3) providing support, encompassing (A) fair and equitable remuneration, (B) social protection and (C) enabling work environments and (4) safeguarding rights, encompassing (A) freedom of association and collective bargaining and (B) whistle-blower protections and freedom from retaliation. DISCUSSION: A robust legal and policy framework exists for supporting health and care workers and safeguarding their rights. Specific human rights, the right to health overall, and other binding and non-binding legal documents provide firm grounding for the compact.However, these existing commitments are not being fully met. Implementing the compact will require more effective governance mechanisms and new policies, in partnership with health and care workers themselves.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Global Health , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , Human Rights , PolicyABSTRACT
This Viewpoint discusses how federal vaccine requirements have helped thwart vaccine-preventable diseases as well as how growing public resistance to vaccines and judicial and legislative limits to vaccination mandates may change that.