Human Rights Day – December 10

Have you heard the term “the social determinants of health” (SDOH)? It refers to the social, economic, and cultural conditions that impact our health and quality of life throughout our entire lifespans. Some, like our race or ethnicity, language, and our cultural heritage, remain consistent over our lives. Others, like sexual orientation or gender, economic status, home community, ability, age, religion, and educational attainment can shift through our lives.  

SDOH are closely linked to human rights in that they are significant factors in influencing health outcomes and underling health inequities faced by individuals and communities. Through the Eastern Shore and Musquodoboit Valley, residents are impacted by SDOH like  insecure & inadequate housing, food insecurity, lack of transportation and economic opportunities, among others.

From a human rights perspective, we can consider health equity through a framework of systems of oppression and power dynamics. In a rights-based approach to health systems, we focus on health as physical, mental, emotional, social and cultural well-being, rather than on health as an absence of disease. Building equitable systems that address all aspects of health  involve ensuring meaningful collaboration with communities around issues that impact their health by using a community empowerment approach. It means involving those who have lived and living experience of health and social inequities, for example, those impacted by racism, sexism, agism, and other types of discrimination. To make meaningful change, we also need to hold our governments accountable for systemic issues leading to inequitable access.

Opportunities to improve health outcomes in our communities include designing systems that emphasize human rights by prioritizing equitable access, rather than systems that are full of barriers to overcome. Any approach should involve community members on a meaningful level, consider their societal, economic, and environmental conditions, and ultimately allow them to be agents of the change they want to see.

Let’s keep human rights in the heart of our work!