Coercion and Criminalization in TB-Related Public Health Laws Insufficient and Inconsistent Rights Protections in 20 High-Burden Countries
John Stephens
An effective response to infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB) requires protection of core human rights as a key component of public health. This review of laws in 20 high-TB-burden countries, however, demonstrates a troubling incongruence between the espoused commitment to a “rights-based” response and domestic legal frameworks governing the TB response. Very few of the TB-related laws reviewed align with core World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and human rights laws and principles.