CHR lauds passage of universal health care bill

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has lauded the “strong political will” of the government after the House of Representatives passed a measure that will provide universal health care access for all Filipinos.

“The human right to health means that everyone has the right to the highest possible standard of physical and mental health, including adequate access to medical care, healthy food, clean water, sanitation, a clean environment, decent housing and healthy working conditions,” the CHR said in a statement yesterday.

“As governments have an obligation to ensure its citizens to be as healthy as possible, many developing countries have proven that the provision of universal health care is an achievable goal. This development shows the administration’s strong political commitment in providing inexpensive and reliable health care for all,” it added.

The CHR said the recently approved House Bill 5784 or the Universal Health Coverage bill is a significant move toward reducing inequalities between classes in terms of access to health services.

“This legislation provides equal opportunity for everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health through an established system of health protection,” it said.

The CHR urged the government to observe the fundamental principles of accessibility, acceptability and adaptability in implementing such policy.

“Accessibility means creating social protection programs that can be easy for people to understand, reach, and use regardless of varying factors; adaptability focuses on the accommodation of local context; while acceptability refers to being sensitive to the intersections that might arise from different identities and background among people,” the human rights body said.