Litigating the Right to Health in Africa : Challenges and Prospects

With contributions from activists and scholars across Africa, this study focusses on understanding the legal framework in Africa for the recognition of the right to health, the challenges people encounter in such litigation and prospects for litigating future health rights cases. Diverse case studies also demonstrate that even in jurisdictions where the right to health has not been explicitly guaranteed, attempts have been made to litigate on this right. The book also takes a comparative approach to litigating the right to health before regional human rights bodies.

Health rights litigation is still an emerging phenomenon in Africa, despite the constitutions of many African countries having provisions to advance the right to health. Litigation can provide a powerful tool not only to hold governments accountable for failure to realise the right to health, but also to empower the people to seek redress for the violation of this essential right. With contributions from activists and scholars across Africa, the collection includes a diverse range of case studies throughout the region, demonstrating that even in jurisdictions where the right to health has not been explicitly guaranteed, attempts have been made to litigate on this right. The collection focusses on understanding the legal framework for the recognition of the right to health, the challenges people encounter in litigating health rights issues and prospects of litigating future health rights cases in Africa. The book also takes a comparative approach to litigating the right to health before regional human rights bodies. This book will be valuable reading to scholars, researchers, policymakers, activists and students interested in the right to health.