India Has One Of The Least Health Freedoms In The World, Says Study - What Does It Imply?

A study has placed India among the top 10 countries with the least health freedoms worldwide. In addition, the study reveals which countries have the greatest and worst health freedoms, such as access to abortions, euthanasia legality, access to universal healthcare, and the legality of medicinal cannabis.

What Is Health Freedom?

"Health freedom" advocates believe that nutritional supplements and natural foods should be available to everyone. Some supporters also oppose government mandates regarding vaccinations and water fluoridation.

Generally, the health freedom movement advocates increased patient access to alternative healthcare treatments. Health freedom advocates criticise government restrictions on the practice of complementary and alternative medicine by unlicensed practitioners, among other things [1].

India Has One Of The Least Health Freedoms In The World

With a health freedom score of 4.38, India ranks ninth globally. You must be at least 21 years old to legally purchase alcohol in India, the world's highest age requirement. Furthermore, cannabis consumption is prohibited in Indian society. While India is one of the seven countries with the weakest abortion restrictions, an individual's socioeconomic status can be sufficient for an abortion to be allowed [2].

As part of its analysis of health freedom globally, the study compared some of the most important differences in health freedom across 50 different countries from around the world, including:

• tobacco restrictions
• alcohol restrictions
• laws around recreational and medicinal cannabis
• abortion laws
• access to universal healthcare
• laws around euthanasia
• paid maternity leave.

In India, you must be at least 21 years of age to purchase alcohol. In addition, there were 13 countries where medicinal cannabis is still fully illegal, all located in Europe and Asia (India).

The majority of countries in the study placed no restrictions on the availability of abortions, indicating that a more liberal approach is the most widely used approach worldwide. However, even though abortions are freely available in many countries, ethical concerns restrict their availability in many other parts of the world [3].

While factors like tobacco and alcohol restrictions indicate a positive outlook on the country's healthcare, laws around euthanasia, paid maternity leave, etc., were a few of the factors contributing to India's low ranking in health freedom.

Human dignity lies at the heart of equality and freedom from discrimination in implementing human rights, including medical care [4][5].

According to the laws surrounding healthcare in India, the State shall regard the improvement of public health as among its primary duties, as well as raising the level of nutrition and living standards of its people. In particular, the State shall take steps to ensure that intoxicating drinks and drugs which are harmful to health are prohibited except for medicinal purposes.

On A Final Note...

Despite the government's efforts to restrict the sale of intoxicating beverages and drugs injurious to health, there remains a socioeconomic gap and a lack of awareness when it comes to improving public health, nutrition, and standard of living for its citizens as one of its primary responsibilities - and this study highlights the same.