The Right to Health and Longevity—An Evolving Human Right
摘要
This chapter reconceptualizes the human right to health in light of emerging longevity science and technologies. Drawing on international legal frameworks such as the ICESCR and the WHO definition of health, it argues that the “highest attainable standard of health” must evolve to include the prevention and modulation of aging itself. The chapter explores how advances ranging from senolytics and gene therapies to AI-driven drug discovery are shifting the boundaries of what is medically possible and legally attainable. However, it warns that without equitable access, these innovations risk deepening global health disparities. The chapter concludes by outlining legal reforms, public investment, and international cooperation needed to realize healthy longevity as a universal human right. It calls for a proactive, inclusive, and justice-oriented approach to embedding longevity within the evolving right to health.