A/62/214 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health Summary The present report, submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, contains three main sections. First, given a finite health budget, how does a State prioritize health interventions in a way that is respectful of human rights? Section II makes some preliminary observations on this complex question and urges all parties to give more attention to the challenging issue of health prioritization. The Commission on Human Rights requested the Special Rapporteur to explore health impact assessments. Section III of the present report outlines a study he co-authored on that issue. It sets out a right-to-health impact assessment methodology and argues that such impact assessments are an aid to equitable, inclusive, robust and sustainable policymaking. The right to the highest attainable standard of health encompasses medical care and the underlying determinants of health, such as water, sanitation, food, shelter and freedom from discrimination. There is a regrettable tendency to devote disproportionate attention to medical care at the expense of the underlying determinants of health. Section IV focuses on two illustrative underlying determinants of health: access to safe water and adequate sanitation. It applies the right-to-health analytical framework to water and sanitation and makes a number of recommendations for States and other actors. Contents 2 Paragraphs Page I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–10 3 II. Prioritization of health interventions and respect for human rights . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–32 4 III. Impact assessments and the right to the highest attainable standard of health . . . . 33–44 8 IV. Water, sanitation and the right to the highest attainable standard of health . . . . . . 45–102 10 V. Conclusions and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103–107 22 07-45379