How can a human rights-based approach be used to further HIV vaccine research-or any scientific research?
The rights-based approach draws on a strong, developing body of international law that proclaims and secures the rights of individuals with respect to their governments. In the area of HIV/AIDS, we’re looking particularly at the right to health. Governments have to assure the conditions under which people can be healthy. We argue that if there’s research which needs to be done-for example, on new treatments or prevention technologies, like vaccines and microbicides-then governments have the obligation either to do that research or to make sure it gets done. What are some of the international agreements you invoke in making these arguments? The source document for all our work is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that every human being should be guaranteed the right to education, freedom from persecution, and a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being. Most governments have entered into legally-binding treaties whereby they promise to assure t
