The right to health must guide responses to COVID-19

Pūras, Dainius; Mesquita, Judith Bueno de; Cabal, Luisa; Maleche, Allan; Meier, Benjamin Mason

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)31255-1

Cited by 34 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…CSOs close gaps unmet by governments or aid agencies and provide safety nets for populations left behind. CSOs are best placed to foster an accountability agenda underscoring a human rightsbased (HRB) COVID-19 response that recognizes the fundamental right to health (Puras et al, 2020). CSOs ensure that interventions, reporting of data, and the dispatch of resources are done equitably, in an unbiased and inclusionary manner.…”

Section: The Impact Of Covid-19 On African Civil Society Organizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safeguarding gains in the sexual and reproductive health and AIDS response amidst COVID-19: The role of African civil society

Eghtessadi¹,

Mukandavire

Mutenherwa

et al. 2020

International Journal of Infectious Diseases

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This article outlines the role of African civil society in safeguarding gains registered to date in sexual and reproductive health and the response to HIV. The case is made for why civil society organizations (CSOs) must be engaged vigilantly in the COVID-19 response in Africa. Lockdown disruptions and the rerouting of health funds to the pandemic have impeded access to essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and social protection services. Compounded by pre-existing inequalities faced by vulnerable populations, the poor SRH outcomes amid COVID-19 call for CSOs to intensify demand for the accountability of governments. CSOs should also continue to persevere in their aim to rapidly close community-health facility gaps and provide safety nets to mitigate the gendered impact of COVID-19.

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Section: The Impact Of Covid-19 On African Civil Society Organizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safeguarding gains in the sexual and reproductive health and AIDS response amidst COVID-19: The role of African civil society

Eghtessadi¹,

Mukandavire

Mutenherwa

et al. 2020

International Journal of Infectious Diseases

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“…The negative consequences of these measures on general population health and well-being, such as mental health issues arising from isolation, loss of income and residential instability, will be exacerbated in vulnerable key populations who lack the resources to physically distance or who do not have access to social safety nets or the option of working from home [6]. In low-income countries characterized by a high burden of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, malaria and HIV/AIDS, structural and environmental conditions which impede adherence to physical distancing and hygiene measures will differentially impact key populations [13].…”

Section: Common Vulnerabilities and Cross-cutting Themesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID‐19, HIV and key populations: cross‐cutting issues and the need for population‐specific responses

Iversen

Sabin

Chang³

et al. 2020

J. Intern. AIDS Soc.

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Introduction Key populations at elevated risk to contract or transmit HIV may also be at higher risk of COVID‐19 complications and adverse outcomes associated with public health prevention measures. However, the conditions faced by specific populations vary according to social, structural and environmental factors, including stigma and discrimination, criminalization, social and economic safety nets and the local epidemiology of HIV and COVID‐19, which determine risk of exposure and vulnerability to adverse health outcomes, as well as the ability to comply with measures such as physical distancing. This commentary identifies common vulnerabilities and cross‐cutting themes in terms of the impacts of COVID‐19 on key populations before addressing issues and concerns specific to particular populations. Discussion Cross‐cutting themes include direct impacts such as disrupted access to essential medicines, commodities and services such as anti‐retroviral treatment, HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis, opioid agonist treatment, viral load monitoring, HIV and sexually transmitted infections testing, condoms and syringes. Indirect impacts include significant collateral damage arising from prevention measures which restrict human rights, increase or impose criminal penalties, and expand police powers to target vulnerable and criminalized populations. Significant heterogeneity in the COVID‐19 pandemic, the underlying HIV epidemic and the ability of key populations to protect themselves means that people who inject drugs and sex workers face particular challenges, including indirect impacts as a result of police targeting, loss of income and sometimes both. Geographical variations mean that transgender people and men who have sex with men in regions like Africa and the middle east remain criminalized, as well as stigmatized and discriminated against, increasing their vulnerability to adverse outcomes in relation to COVID‐19. Conclusions Disruptions to both licit and illicit supply chains, loss of income and livelihoods and changes in behaviour as a result of lockdowns and physical distancing have the potential to exacerbate the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on key populations. While these impacts will vary significantly, human‐rights approaches to COVID‐19 emergency laws and public health prevention measures that are population‐specific and sensitive, will be key to reducing adverse health outcomes and ensuring that no one is left behind.

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“…Bosnian authorities, for instance, transferred thousands of migrants to a remote camp in Lipa, 25 km from the Croatian border, without access to healthcare. 55 To comply with the right to health, states must ensure that access to appropriate COVID-related diagnostic testing and emergency healthcare for such groups is prioritised within healthcare policies, programmes and practices, and that states conduct human rights impact assessments to analyse the impacts 56 Countries such as South Africa introduced a mass testing programme which was made free available to everyone, 52 and in countries with health inequalities between public and private care (like Spain and the UK), private hospitals are being nationalised to ensure that all citizens have equitable access to treatment. 57 58 However, in countries like the USA, those without medical insurance are being denied access to treatment or facing prohibitive user fees for basic COVID-19 treatment, resulting in inequitable mortality.…”

Section: Fulfilling the Right To Healthcare And Underlying Determinanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and human rights are inextricably linked in the COVID-19 response

Sekalala

Forman

Habibi³

et al. 2020

BMJ Glob Health

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To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, governments throughout the world have introduced emergency measures that constrain individual freedoms, social and economic rights and global solidarity. These regulatory measures have closed schools, workplaces and transit systems, cancelled public gatherings, introduced mandatory home confinement and deployed large-scale electronic surveillance. In doing so, human rights obligations are rarely addressed, despite how significantly they are impacted by the pandemic response. The norms and principles of human rights should guide government responses to COVID-19, with these rights strengthening the public health response to COVID-19.

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The right to health must guide responses to COVID-19

Cited by 34 publications

References 2 publications

Safeguarding gains in the sexual and reproductive health and AIDS response amidst COVID-19: The role of African civil society

Safeguarding gains in the sexual and reproductive health and AIDS response amidst COVID-19: The role of African civil society

COVID‐19, HIV and key populations: cross‐cutting issues and the need for population‐specific responses

Health and human rights are inextricably linked in the COVID-19 response

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