The right to health: The convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

This article argues that the development of the right to health and mental health in international human rights law critically informs the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In particular, the continuity and complementarities between civil and political rights on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights on the other, underscores the Convention's injunction to provide a comprehensive range of health, mental health and social services that are acceptable to the person, culturally appropriate, and provided on a voluntary basis. This article discusses the application of the Convention with a focus on the developing content of the right to health, the adoption of a social model of health in the Convention, and the significance of Article 24 on the right to enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.