Social responsibility and health

The idea of ‘social responsibility’ has come into use to point to a new ethical approach to the goals and strategies of companies and institutions, starting with the private ones. The focus is no longer merely on maximizing profit for the stockholders, but on the various interests and needs of the stakeholders, i.e. the many individuals and organizations that are in different ways targeted by and/or involved in the activity of an economic actor. The concept of social responsibility is clearly formulated in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights of 2005. It is related to the fundamental human right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health in a dual sense. On the one hand, the promotion of health and social development for their people is ‘a central purpose of governments’ that is yet to be shared by ‘all sectors of society’. On the other hand, we ought to take into account that the health of every human being largely depends, besides their genetic endowment and personal behaviours, on social determinants that are only very partially within their control. Therefore, the commitment to respect, protect and fulfil this right has necessarily to involve a broad range of actions. It is not just about access to quality health care. It is about improving all the means to prevent diseases and suffering and to deal with them better. According to this conception, some frameworks of action seem to be crucial: education and lifestyles; media and information; professionals and research; the global market as well as international cooperation