Genetic medicine and the universal right to health
Since the UN approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, many other declarations, conventions, etc., have adhere to the principles of its Article 25: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control", and "Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection". Nevertheless, despite many initiatives to establish health as a citizens right and a government dutyt, we are far from success. Genetic Medicine, with all its accomplishments and promises, has become too expensive and therefore difficult and often impossible to access, mainly in the poor countries where a PAUPERICIDE is already in process. There is a need for a strong drive towards the Universal Right to Health for all, as proclaimed for decades by WHO, in order to recover the lost humanism in Medicine. The preventive and predictive attributes of Genetic Medicine are good arguments to lead a global effort to achieve such an aim.