The shrinking of human rights: the controversial revision of the Helsinki Declaration.

The right of access to health care for HIV patients in developing countries has been weakened by the 1999 revision of the Helsinki Declaration. There is a dichotomy between discussions of human rights and liberal international public health policy. Utilitarian ethics, devoid of a sound notion of universal justice, encourage discrimination against economically vulnerable patients in developing countries. Greater coherence is needed between ethical principles and practical issues, particularly with regard to scientific research.