A/67/302 populations. 60 These groups often already face difficulties in accessing health care because they lack the social and political means to challenge the inequitable allocation of public resources. 61 Inequitable allocation of health funds and resources between rural, remote and urban areas may thus lead to structural discrimination of vulnerable or marginalized groups within the health system who, unlike their urban counterparts, lack access to good quality health facilities, goods and services in their communities. 54. The situation of indigenous populations around the world demonstrates this problem. In many States, indigenous communities are vulnerable as a group owing to persistent poverty, historical marginalization and political disempowerment. 62 These challenges are exacerbated by the fact that indigenous populations traditionally live in rural and remote areas that often lack public infrastructure, including health facilities. 63 Indigenous populations in all parts of the world experience worse health outcomes than non-indigenous populations as a result. 64 For example, indigenous populations in three different countries faced infant mortality rates 3 times higher, suicide rates 11 times higher and the prevalence of poor sanitation 7 times higher than non-indigenous populations. 65 The right to health approach requires States to allocate health funds and resources between rural, remote and urban areas equitably in order to respect and fulfil the right to health of vulnerable and marginalized groups living in these areas. IV. Conclusion and recommendations 55. The right to health approach to health financing provides a framework with which to ensure adequate, equitable and sustainable health financing. The approach addresses three critical areas in health financing: how States ensure adequate funds are available for health and the sources from which they raise these funds; how these funds are pooled; and how funds and resources are allocated within health systems towards ensuring universal access to good quality health facilities, goods and services. 56. The Special Rapporteur urges States to take the following steps in order to ensure adequate funds are available for health: (a) Implement a progressively structured system of general taxation to fund health or improve upon the progressivity of such systems where they already exist; __________________ 60 61 62 63 64 65 20 Human Rights Council, “Final study of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on the advancement of the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas” (A/HRC/19/75, sect. IV). WHO/European Commission, How health systems can address health inequities through improved use of Structural Funds (Copenhagen, 2010), pp. 9-10. Robyn Eversole et al. (eds.), Indigenous Peoples & Poverty: An International Perspective (Bergen, Comparative Research Programme on Poverty, 2005), pp. 69, 128. World Bank, Indigenous Peoples: Still among the Poorest of the Poor (2010), p. 5. WHO, The Health and Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Health and Human Rights Team, (2011). WHO, Health of indigenous peoples, Fact sheet No. 326 (2007), available from: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs326/en/index.html. 12-46101