THE RIGHT TO HEALTH ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM

Main Menu

The chief goal of this program is to build accountability and transparency in the progression of the right to health in Zimbabwe.

Accountability can be defined as an obligation to bear the consequences of failure (and success). In ethics and governance approaches to the right to health, accountability compels mainly governments to acknowledge and assume responsibility for actions, decisions, policies and administration (including implementation) of programmes for health.

There are several international covenants and treaties which provide a definition and mandate to the right to health. These define the obligations of states to promote, protect, fulfil and respect the right to health. Zimbabwe has signed some of those treaties. The government is there after a duty-bearer, obliged to demonstrate the progressive realisation the right to health within the country.

The right to health awareness programme draws attention to accountability in several ways.

The principal approach is empower health professional and communities to hold government accountable for the progress of the right to health.
Systematic data collection by health professionals on policies, service delivery and other pertinent issues as well as input from community members are methods used as a means to determine the progress of health rights in Zimbabwe.
Information gathered is useful for advocacy and in dialogue with policy makers, administrative authorities and officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
The Monitoring the Right to Health program, targeted surveys such as the Health Rights Survey, Health Financing Monitoring are expressions of the Accountability Program.