[Health for all by the year 2000: human rights and health]

Human rights, humanitarianism, and equality in health and access to care are some of the cornerstones of the European Health For All (HFA) programme. The World Health Organization has set a target of reducing present national and international differences in health status by 25 per cent. This may well be an Utopian dream, in view of the gulf that exists between different socio-economic categories with regard to lifespan, and infant mortality and morbidity. An additional source of concern is the lack of political initiative to resolve these problems.