War and the Right to Health in Colombia: A Case Study of the Department of Nariño

Authors

  • Carlos Iván Pacheco Sánchez Centro de Investigaciones en Sociedad Salud y Cultura, Asociación Turmequé de Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

This paper reviews compliance with the right to health in Colombia following the reform of the Colombian health system in 1993. A case study in the department of Nariño shows the differential effects of war on the guarantee of the right to health of Colombians. The poorest, most vulnerable populations are affected by war and suffer the greatest violation of their right to health. Violations of human rights, including the right to health, are greatest among poor homes, ethnic groups, sexual minorities and all those living in areas where war is at its most intense. Moreover, the social security health care system’s philosophy and organization have enabled illegal armed agents, mainly the paramilitary, to appropriate and manage health resources and use them for their own ends.

Author Biography

Carlos Iván Pacheco Sánchez, Centro de Investigaciones en Sociedad Salud y Cultura, Asociación Turmequé de Bogotá, Colombia

Médico, Especialista en epidemiología, y Candidato a Doctor en Sociología de la Universidad de Barcelona. Investigador líder del Centro de Investigaciones en Sociedad Salud y Cultura de la Asociación Turmequé y del Grupo de investigación COPOLIS del Departamento de Sociología y Análisis de las Organizaciones de la Universidad de Barcelona - España. Miembro del equipo de Le Monde Diplomatique edición Colombia.

Published

2009-09-29

Issue

Section

Original Research