Health, Medicine and Science in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Using archival sources, the authors report on the debates and diverse perspectives of United Nations representatives responsible for formulating Article 25 (relating to health and medical care) and 27 (relating to science) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These articles supply important normative guidelines for human rights and public health policy. The question of whether health-related rights should depend on state and/or private sponsorship was left open. There was agreement that scientists deserve freedom in their work but the elitist tone of Article 27 was modified by adding that the general public should share in its benefits. The political nature of drafting these articles shows they have no one dominant progenitor, but finally reflect hard-won consensus in a process ably chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt.