“My health, my right”, the theme for World Health Day 2024, is a reminder that health is a fundamental right that must be ensured for every human being.

Health as a human right is recognized in the WHO Constitution, and the right to health has been central to WHO’s identity and mandate since the start.

Health is also recognized as a human right in the constitution of at least 140 countries, including 20 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. All WHO Member States have ratified at least one treaty that recognizes the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

This rarely translates into action on the ground, however. As a result, the right to health of millions of people globally is increasingly under threat.

At least 4.5 billion people – more than half of the world’s population – are not fully covered by essential health services. Such a shocking reality calls for urgent action by all responsible parties.

The right to health closely relates to and relies upon the realization of other human rights. These include the rights to life, food, housing, work, education, privacy, access to information, freedom from torture, and the freedoms of association, assembly and movement. The right to health not only includes access to health services but also access to economic stability, quality education, employment, housing, decent life amenities and other aspects that contribute to health.