Safeguarding the Right to Health of the Elderly in Rural China: A Legal Analysis

Older people in rural China enjoy the right to health under Chinese law. However, the problems of economic difficulties, the unbalanced allocation of medical resources between urban and rural areas and the weakening of the traditional function of the family as a provider of old-age care in reality make the elderly in rural areas face a higher risk of health problems. The law is an important tool to mitigate these problems. Although China has made great efforts to legally guarantee the right to health of the rural elderly, it has not yet fully implemented the requirements of Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 14 of the Madrid Political Declaration and International Plan of Action on Ageing. China needs to further improve the relevant legislation to provide adequate legal support for the exercise of the right to health of the elderly in rural areas.