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This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
Press
statement on passing of a new Constitution and the Right to health
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR)
May 23, 2013
The Zimbabwe
Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) joins the citizens
of Zimbabwe in celebrating the historic signing
of the new constitution in Zimbabwe.
ZADHR is deeply
humbled with the role of Zimbabweans at large, the civil society
and health professionals in Campaigning for the Inclusion of the
Right to health in the new constitution.
While celebrating
the dawn of a new era in Zimbabwe following the passing of a new
constitution, ZADHR is particularly buoyed by the fact that the
new governance charter guarantees the right to health and the right
to food and water a combination that is intrinsically linked. This
is positive in light of enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of physical and mental health for all Zimbabwean as citizens can
seek remedies through the court of law for violations of the right
to health.
During the constitution
making process ZADHR actively engaged communities at community meetings,
its membership and fellow health professionals at health institutions
throughout the country to participate and ensure that their voices
are heard and use the limited space created by this process to influence
inclusion of adequate guarantee of all human rights, which are universal,
interdependent and inalienable. It is evident that human rights
cannot and should not be divided and cannot be realized independently
of each other.
Chapter 4 Section
76 and 77 of the new Constitution expressly stipulates that;
76 Right
to health care
(1) Every citizen
and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to have access
to basic healthcare services, including reproductive health-care
services.
(2) Every person
living with a chronic illness has the right to have access to basic
health-care services for the illness.
(3) No person
may be refused emergency medical treatment in any health-care institution.
(4) The State
must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the
limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive
realisation of the rights set out in this section.
77 Right
to food and water
Every person
has the right to -
(a) safe, clean
and potable water; and
(b) sufficient
food;
and the State
must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the
limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive
realisation of this right.
In this light,
ZADHR looks forward to the full implementation of the charter.
ZADHR exists
recognizing the position of doctors and other health professionals
as frontline witnesses of progress in achievement of the right to
health, and recognizing the power of the voices of health care workers
to influence policy and its implementation.
Visit the Zimbabwe
Association of Doctors for Human Rights fact
sheet
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