Human Rights and Access to Health Care

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Three years prior to the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln stated that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”, With the advent of international telecommunications, extensive travel and economic interdependence, the world is shrinking. As witnessed by the AIDS epidemic2 and various strains of influenza,3 localized health problems in third world countries quickly find their way into one’s own back yard.4 Traditional methods for differentiating domestic and international health problems have lost their meaning.5 With regard to what is currently known about past and present health crises, the “global village” has become a global house…