Topic: Healthcare as a Human Right
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Caroline Sawatzki
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Italy position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Italy’s healthcare system is notorious for its functionality and ability to provide all citizens with access to healthcare at every level. In fact, the World Health Organization’s most recent health care ranking (2000), Italy’s was ranked at number two out of nearly two hundred nations based on quality of the health care system in each country. It is Italy’s belief that healthcare is a human right, and that every member of society should have the right to access healthcare at any level necessary, and documents such as article 25 of the UDHR (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights) which cites that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including… medical care” and article 12, subsection 2 of the ICESCR (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) which states that “the steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for: … (d) The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness” affirm this belief.
However, when establishing regulations on healthcare, it is important to consider that a system which is functional for one nation may be disastrous for another. Healthcare should be tailored to each nation (or group of nations) specifically, rather than creating blanket policies and regulations which may not truly “cover” certain situations and may be detrimental to the economies of nations who cannot afford to provide access to healthcare for all. Italy hopes to see the establishment of healthcare regulations that ensure the equal and ethical treatment of all citizens in regards to medical care and access to healthcare while paying special attention to the fragility of the economies of developing nations and nations with unstable economies which may indicate an inability to accommodate the cost of providing affordable healthcare to all. A system should be established that works in accordance with the necessities defined by the ICESCR and UDHR and accommodates nations who may not be adequately prepared or equipped to provide the care needed with the assistance of private and publicly-funded organizations. Nations should work as a collective body, as well as independently through national law, to ensure that no population is being neglected or denied proper healthcare because it is at a socioeconomic disadvantage.
