This book contains lectures from the International Conference on Human Rights and Biomedicine, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, December 10-12, 2008. The conference was organized by the Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erasmus Observatory on Health Law. Eminent scholars from a variety of disciplines - medicine, law, ethics, and philosophy - discuss the meaning of underlying principles of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (1997) and the fundamental rights in healthcare, contemporary dilemmas in (...) healthcare (policy), and the Convention's impact on national health legislation and daily practice. In particular, the contributions discuss the following topics: human rights and health ethics, equitable access to health care, medical research, human genetics, and organ transplants. (shrink)

This book contains a collection of treaty documents and soft law on health care rights and health ethics which are used in health law training programs. Regional documents and explanatory reports on health care rights, which are derived from international human rights law, provide a way of "unwrapping" government obligations in health care, making rights more specific, accessible, and (judicially) accountable. In addition, soft law declarations and medical ethics contribute to understanding the moral meaning of human rights in health care. (...) As such, the principles and standards provide practical guidance for States when dealing with equal access to health care services, the rights of patients, biomedical research, organ donations and transplants, genetics, and public health. The book covers the basic documents, while general comments and explanatory reports amplify the principles embodied in the human rights treaties. The authoritative interpretations clarify a 'European approach' on a State's obligations concerning health care rights and ethics. (shrink)