COVID – 19 PANDEMIC: THE IMPERATIVE FOR STATES TO RETHINK THEIR

APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL HEALTH RIGHTS

By Victor Obinna Chukwuma

Abstract:

It has become clearer, at least with the already witnessed far reaching impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, that

health is a subject of both national and international concern. The high level of national and international

emergency response to the pandemic is unprecedented and praiseworthy. However, it is incontrovertible that the

pandemic has succeeded in evaluating or probing the alertness, readiness and commitment of States as regards

their obligations to protect, respect and fulfil the rights to health of their citizens. This paper examines the status of

health as a human right and finds inter alia that notwithstanding terminological contestations of scholars, the right

to health is clearly recognized in international law and has been expatiated by the United Nations Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its Comment No. 14. It is however worrisome that most States do not

recognize the right as basic or binding. While the States hinge their stance on the fact that they do not have enough

economic resources to guarantee the right, this paper submits that it is rather lack of political will and unchecked

neoliberalistic forces that accentuate the growing relegation of governmental responsibilities as it relates to the

right to health. This research further finds that beyond national commitment, there is need for increased

international cooperation and assistance, going forward. International bodies such as the International Monetary

Fund, World Bank and the World Health Organization, etc, are to cooperate with the States especially developing

States and ensure that their policies promote universal health care goals. It is hoped that after the containment of

the coronavirus pandemic, all countries will intensify individual commitment and international cooperation efforts

in pursuing the full realization of the health rights of their citizens.1

1 Victor Obinna Chukwuma Esq. LLB (Unizik), BL (Nigerian Law School, V.I Lagos), LLM Student (Unilag)
Counsel at Adekunle Ojo & Associates, Ikeja, Lagos. The writer can be contacted through his email:
[email protected] or his phone number: 07069182735).

1|Page
1.0 Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic virus currently beleaguering the whole

world today with hundreds of thousands confirmed cases and several deaths across the globe.

Research is still ongoing as regards the clear cut origin of the virus but existing data show that

bats appear to be the reservoir of the virus and that the infection sprang up in China. 2 It is no

doubt that unhealthy consumption of, or some form of contact with the virus carriers must have

informed its transmission to humans and the heightening spread. The emphasis of this paper is

not to investigate the origin of the pandemic or stigmatize the alleged originating country.

Instead, this paper seeks to reflect upon the lessons which the world ought to grasp from the

pandemic. It is no doubt that the COVID – 19 Pandemic has truly shaken the whole world.

Beyond the devastating health issues and indefinite lockdown which the disease has occasioned,

the international community has also raised alarm over the tsunami of misinformation and

rumours spreading across the world on account of the pandemic. 3 Furthermore, aggrieved

individuals and groups have also shown their vexation by dubbing the pandemic with name of

the country from which it allegedly originated and filing a suit against the country for financial

indemnification.4 Well, it is no doubt that the principle of international responsibility may come

to play in the circumstance, but it needs be emphasized that it must not dislodge the need to look

beyond name-shaming, fear-mongering and stigmatization, to more lasting measures that can

ensure a collective effort towards global health. This is the fulcrum of this paper – to preach

international or universal approach and increased national commitment towards heath care.

2 See “Report of WHO – China Joint Mission on Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID – 19)” 16 – 24 February,
2020, pg. 8 (pp. 1-40)
3 John Zaracostas, “How to Fight an Infodemic” WORLD REPORT, The Lancet, Vol. 395, February 29, 2020, pg.
676
4 See Tyler Olson, “Class-action Suit Seeks to Bill China for Coronavirus Fallout: We Want the Court to Make
Them Pay” FOX NEWS, 25th March 2020, available at https://www.foxnews.com/politices/class-action-suit-seeks-
to-make-china-pay accessed on 26th March 2020

2|Page
2.0 Health and Human Rights

There is, undoubtedly, a nexus between health and human rights in a number of ways. Firstly,

health policies and practices can promote and protect or conversely restrict or violate human

rights. In Khosa v. Minister of Social Development,5 for instance, the South African

Constitutional Court found a provision of a local law (health policy) which excluded Non-South

Africans from receiving certain welfare benefits to be unconstitutional. The court held that the

exclusion of those permanent residents merely because they were not South African citizens

infringed on their rights. Secondly, the nexus is further buttressed by the fact that the violation of

human rights may have negative impact on the health of the victim. According to Wendy Austin,

human rights violations such as extreme poverty, trafficking in persons and victimization of

minorities have grave consequences on the mental and physical health of the victims.6

The question to now ask is whether the health of a citizen should be seen as a right? In this

connection, it must be noted that “right” is an entitlement and not a commodity so that

conceptualizing health as a human right implies that the individual can lay claim to it against

others including the government. In this connection, scholars place a degree of caution on the

terminology used to express the rights. For instance, Professor Virginia A. Leary argues that

although the expression “right to health” appears in many international instruments, it does so

only in a shorthand form, and that it will be superficial and absurd to interpret the expression to

mean that government, international organizations or individuals must guarantee a person’s good

health.7 Noting that the expression right to health is to be used only for convenience, the writer

5 2004 (6) BCLR 569 (CC)

3|Page
suggested other expressions such as “right to health protection.”8 Another writer shares the same

view and submits that a “right to health” makes little sense as no government can guarantee the

health of a citizen.9 On her own part, Ruth Roemer advocates for the expression “right to health

care.” She however used the words “health care” and “health protection” interchangeably

throughout her work but made no usage of the expression “right to health.” She submits that

from moral, egalitarian and social dimensions, the right to healthcare exists.10

On the other hand, another scholar, Dr. Sarah Friedman, finds for the expression “right to health”

and maintains that it is an umbrella term that implies a variety of practical requirements. To her,

the expression is frequently used to challenge abuses of health by invoking social and economic

rights. She sees other expressions like the “right to healthcare” as “too narrow” and admits

however that the expression “right to health” faces the challenge of international acceptance

simply because it is seen as being too demanding and impossible to guarantee.11

It is important to note that none of the authors above denies that the notion of human rights as it

relates to health. Virginia A. Leary for instance made copious arguments for the

conceptualization of health as a right. She sees rights as “trumps” (that is, something of special

importance) and submits that conceptualizing health as a right underscores the importance of

health as a social good and not solely a medical, technical, or economic problem. 12 Therefore,

notwithstanding the terminological contestations of scholars, there is a degree of consensus that

health involves a notion of human rights to a comprehensive range of services such as protective

environmental services, prevention and health promotion, therapeutic services, rehabilitative

8 Ibid pg. 31
9 Wendy Austin, supra note 6, pg. 185
10 See Ruth Roemer, “The Right to Health Care – Gains and Gaps” AJPH, Vol. 78, No. 3, 1988, pg. 241
11 Sarah Friedman, “The Right to Health” pp. 1-2 retrieved from
htpps://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/health/right.pdf. accessed on March 27, 2020
12 Virginia A. Leary, supra note 7, pg. 36

4|Page
measures, social welfare and long term care, etc, and that these rights deserve adequate national

and international commitment.

There is little data against the idea of conceptualizing health as a right. From a legislative

perspective, conceptualizing health as a right has been criticized on the basis that it will limit

health protection since doing so implies that the rights will be recognized only to the extent of

which they are enshrined or codified.13 This school maintains that beyond codifying health as a

right, effective international mechanisms must be put in place if such rights must be realized. It is

submitted that this critique is merely positive and does not in any form deny the notion of health

as a right. The criticism merely goes to the form in which the rights are contained – written or

unwritten form. Another criticism of conceptualizing health as a right is the relativistic or

reservationist approach which argues human values are far from being universal and that the

values vary a great deal according to different cultural perspectives. They maintain there is no

such thing as global approach to rights and that each community or people are to determine their

rights based on their traditional and local majority values. 14 It is clear that this critique opposes

the universalist theory that international human rights have universal applicability and thus

become binding on every person irrespective of creed, culture, idiosyncrasies, religion or

personal convictions. While the universalists see health as a universal human right, the

proponents of cultural relativistism debunk the universality of the right to health and maintain

that the recognition of health as a right will depend on the cultural values of a particular people

or group. With a view to striking a balance between the two sides, some writers have suggested a

minimalism approach by which certain basic human rights are to be seen as minimum core

13 See Wendy Austin, supra note 6, pp. 190-191

5|Page
 which must not be derogated from by every community of the world. 15 The implication is that

any other rights outside the list of such certain core rights may not be binding on a community

whose cultural values do not agree with the rights. While I am more inclined to submit that the

right to health is a universal human right, I must also underscore that enforcing the rights, the

cultural values of the people should not be dismissed with a wave of hand. Health is so

sacrosanct to life that one wonders which cultural belief or value can reasonably reject, as a

western idea, the rights which it embodies. Even from the minimalists’ approach, it is submitted

that there can hardly be a list of “core rights” which will exclude the right to health.

3.0 International Protection of Health Rights

The argument that health is a universal human right is further bolstered by the fact that health

rights are recognized and protected under a number of international instruments. In a declaration

issued by the international community in 1978, it was categorically stated that:

“... health, which is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and

not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, is a fundamental human right and

that the attainment of the highest possible level of health is a most important

world-wide social goal whose realization requires the action of many other social

and economic sectors in addition to the health sector.”16

Several International Instruments do contain provisions recognizing the right to health. These

Instruments include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal Declaration) of

15 Ayodele V. Atsenuwa Etal, “Criss-Crossing Law and Jurisprudence: Festschrif or Pro essor Akindele Babatunde
Oyebode” published by the Faculty o Law, University o Lagos, Nigeria, 2018, pg. 48
16 See the WHO and UNICEF Declaration of Alma Ata adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health
Care, September 6 – 12, 1978

6|Page
1948,17 the Constitution of the World Health Organization, 18 the International Convention on

Economic, Social and Economic rights (ICESCR) of 1966,19 African Charter on Human and

Peoples Rights,20 the Convention on the Rights of a Child of 1990, 21 Convention on the

Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 1969, 22 Convention on the Elimination of

All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of 1979,23 etc.

Of all the above instruments, this paper will hinge on the International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Economic rights. Article 12 of Covenant enjoins States parties to recognize the right

of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. In

order to comply with this provision, steps which the states parties are to take must be such which

will be geared towards (a) reducing the rate of still-birth and infant mortality; (b) improving

environmental and industrial hygiene; (c) preventing, treating, and controlling epidemic,

endemic, occupational and other diseases; and (d) creating conditions which assure all medical

service and attention in the event of sickness. The right to health as contained in the ICESCR has

been categorized as a social right.24 From the provision of the ICESCR, it suffices to define the

“right to health” as the right of everyone to attain the highest standard of health, at least in

international law. The UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has

done a good job in expatiating the provisions of Article 12 of the Covenant in its General

17 Article 25
18 See the Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health
Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946
19 Article 12
20 Article 16
21 Article 24 (1)
22 Article 5 (e) (iv)
23 Article 12
24 Henry J. Steiner, Philip Alston and Ryan Goodman, “International Human Rights: Law, Politics, Morals: Texts
and Morals” 3rd Edition (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008) pg. 276

7|Page
Comment No. 14 on the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health. 25 Some of the

notable provisions of the Comment include:

 That the right to health is not to be understood as a right to be healthy - That the right to

health contains both freedoms and entitlements. Freedom include the right to control

one’s health and body and to be free from interference while entitlement include the right

to a system of health protection which provides equality of opportunity for people to

enjoy the highest attainable level of health.26

 That the right to health extends not only timely and appropriate health care but also to the

underlying determinants of health such as access to safe and potable water, adequate

sanitation, adequate supply of safe food, nutrition and housing, healthy occupational and

environmental conditions, participation of the population in all health-related decision-

making at the community, national and international levels.27

 That essential elements of the right to health includes: (a) availability, that is, functioning

health and health-care facilities, goods and services, as well as programmes have to be

available in sufficient quantity; (b) accessibility, that is, health facilities have to be

accessible (affordability and information accessibility) to everyone without any form

discrimination; (c) acceptability, that is, health facilities must be comply with medical

ethics and respect the culture of individuals; and (d) Quality, that is, the health facilities,

goods and services must be scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality.28

25 See the CESCR General Comment No. 14 Adopted at the 22 nd Session o the CESCR on 11 August 2000
(contained in Document E/C. 12/2000/4)
26 Paragraph 8 thereo
27 Paragraph 11 thereo
28 Paragraph 12 thereo

8|Page
4.0 The Nature of State Parties’ Obligations in Guaranteeing the Right to Health

Just like other rights envisaged under international law, the obligations of States in guaranteeing

the right to health is in threefold - to respect (obligation not to violate the right directly by its

actions), to protect (obligation to prevent third parties from violating the right) and to fulfill

(obligation to take measures necessary to ensure the rights).

The obligation of States to respect the right to health includes inter alia refraining from denying

or limiting equal access for all persons to preventive, curative and palliative health services and

abstaining from enforcing discriminatory practices as a state policy.29

The obligation of States to protect the right to health includes inter alia adopting legislative and

other measures that ensure equal access to health care and health-related services provided by

third parties; controlling the marketing of medical equipment and facilities by third parties,

ensuring that medical professionals meet appropriate standards of education, skills and codes of

conduct; adopting measures to protect all vulnerable or marginalized groups of society including

women, children, adolescents and old persons, etc.30

The obligation of States to fulfil the right to health includes inter alia according political and

legal recognition to the right to health, adopting a national health policy with a detailed plan for

realizing the right to health, provision of adequate health care facilities, provision of public

health infrastructures especially in rural areas, providing public, private and mixed health

insurance system which is affordable to all, promoting medical research and education, etc.31

29 Paragraph 34 o the CESCR Comment N0. 14

9|Page
5.0 Principles Guiding the Implementation of the Right to Health

a. Principle of Non-Discrimination:

Under Article 2 (1) of the ICESCR, States parties agree to guarantee that the rights enunciated in

the Covenant, including the right to health, will be exercised without discrimination on the basis

of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,

property, birth or status. The scope of the principle of non-discrimination envisaged under the

Covenant is positively wide as it discourages any form of discrimination whatsoever in the

implementation of the rights. According to the CESCR, States parties are to ensure that their

constitutions, laws, policies do not discriminate on any of the above prohibited grounds and that

States parties must adopt measures that attenuate or suppress conditions that perpetuate

discrimination.32

b. Principle of International Cooperation

Under Article 2 (1) the ICESCR, States parties are required, beyond individual efforts, to also

employ international assistance and cooperation in the enforcement of the rights contained in the

Covenant. This provision fosters the importance of international cooperation in the protection of

human rights. The provision also apparently takes note of developing countries which may not

on their own be able to carry out the requirements of the Covenant without some support from

the developed countries. Assistance and cooperation are the key words with respect to the

ICESCR – the fostering of international cooperation as a by-product contributing to the

maintenance of friendly relations among states.33

c. Principle of Progressive Realization

10 | P a g e
The principle of progressive realization is embodied in Article 2 (1) of the ICESCR. The article

provides that each State party undertakes to take steps to the maximum of its available resources

“with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in the present

Covenant.” The implication according to Malcolm N. Shaw, is that “an evolving programme is

envisaged depending upon the goodwill and resources of states rather than an immediate binding

legal obligation with regard to the rights in question.” 34 It follows that the full realization of the

rights envisaged under the Covenant is to be achieved through gradual or progressive efforts by

the states parties. However, as rightly pointed out by the UN Committee on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights, the principle of progressive realization does admit of some exceptions towit

that the obligations to take steps as required by the ICESCR and to tackle all forms of

discrimination in the enforcement of the rights must be a matter of immediate, urgent action. 35

Similarly, there are core obligations as regards the right to health to which the States parties are

required to give immediate effect. These include:36

a. To ensure the right of access to health facilities, goods and services on a non-

discriminatory basis, especially for vulnerable or marginalized groups;

b. To ensure access to minimum essential food which is nutritionally adequate and safe, to

ensure freedom from hunger to everyone;

c. To ensure access to basic shelter, housing and sanitation, and a supply of safe and potable

water;

d. To provide essential drugs, as from time to time defined under the WHO Action

Programme on Essential drugs;

34 Malcolm N. Shaw, “International Law” sixth Edition (Cambridge University Press, UK, 2008) pg. 308
35 See the CESCR Comment No. 3 on the Nature o States Partess Obligatons, adopted at the 5 th session o the
CESCR on 14th December, 1990 (contained in Document E/1991/23) paragraph 1
36 See Paragraph 43 o the CESCR Comment N0. 14

11 | P a g e
 e. To ensure equitable distribution of health facilities, etc.

6.0 The Ambivalence of States to Health Rights – A Challenge to Global Health

As earlier on noted, the purpose of this research is to call for a sincere national commitment to

health rights and to advocate for increased international or universal cooperation towards the

right to health care. We have seen that the right to health notwithstanding the terminological

contestations of scholars, is an internationally recognized right contained in a number of

international instruments, more importantly the International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Economic Rights. However, although most nations of the world have ratified the Covenant

thereby incurring the health obligations discussed above, the approach of States to the rights is a

subject of great concern as most of the States do not accept the rights as binding on them. This

poor approach of States is reflected in their recognition of the rights as only directive principles

of social policy which are not justiciable per se. The implication is that the rights are not directly

enforceable in the courts, but are intended to serve as guidance for government policy. In

Nigeria, for instance, where the right to health is only recognized as a directive principle of State

policy,37 research shows that there is poor State commitment to the health care of the citizens.

This has led to the proliferation of self-medication on the part of the citizens. Accessibility to

health care is a huge challenge given the inadequacy of public health facilities, lack of quality

health facilities and the high cost of accessing private health institutions.38

The South African Constitution of 1996 is quite unique as it enshrines these rights as basic

rights. For instance, in South Africa, while the requirement to provide emergency medical

treatment39 impose immediate obligations on the State, other rights such as rights to adequate
37 See secton 17 (c) & (d)
38 See Yinka Olomojobi, Medical and Health Law: The Right to Health” Princeton & Associates Publishing Co Ltd,
Ikeja, 2019, pg. 45
39 Section 27 (3)

12 | P a g e
housing,40 food, water and security,41 are subject to the principle of progressive realization which

is subject to the available resources of the State and will be breached where the State does not

take reasonable steps to realize the rights.

In accordance with the Legislative critique discussed earlier discussed, mere codification of

rights does not guarantee their implementation. Although this is true, it is submitted that

codifying rights, especially health rights, in a legal text, is a paramount step towards ensuring

their enforcement, and it also indicates some level of national commitment towards pursuing the

realization of the rights. Apart from factors such as inadequate resources,42 neoliberalism,43 etc, it

is submitted that lack of political will on the part governments inform their ambivalence towards

according a binding status to health rights.

Advocating for an increased national commitment to health care, Scot Yoder justifies public

regulation of health from paternalistic, social welfare and fairness perspectives. The paternalistic

ground hinges on the fact that some individuals, for their own good, need some external

authority to impose health habits on them.44 This is true when we consider that some people due

to ignorance often eat or come into contact with disease-carrying or health-destroying objects.

Such unhealthy lifestyles may lead to the contracting and spread of contagious infections to

others. This is the position of the social welfare perspective which hinges on the fact that the

public regulation of health serves to protect the health or the public or common good. The

fairness ground for public regulation of health, according to Scot Yoder, is that the government

must hold people whose wrong health choices involve some level of risks, responsible of their

40 Section 26
41 Section 27
42 Virginia A. Leary, supra note 7, pg. 45
43 See Evans Tony, “A Human Right to Health?” Third World Quarterly, Vol. 23 No. 2, 2002, pp. 197 - 216
44 Scot Yoder, “Personal Responsibility or Health: Discovery or Decision” Medical Humanites Report Spring, Vol.
19, No. 3, 1998.

13 | P a g e
lifestyles.45 The implication is that people with bad health habits pose risks to others and there

should be some form of legal punishments for them. The sum total of these perspectives is that

national governments have a great role to play in ensuring the adequate protection of the right to

health.

To improve national commitment to health rights, it is submitted that countries must go beyond

recognizing the rights as binding and enforceable, to taking adequate measures towards

checkmating the impact of neoliberalism on the rights. Neoliberalism which involves the idea of

a free market system with minimal government interventions often oppose social safety nets like

public sector health care and education as preventing markets from achieving efficient social

equilibria.46 Most countries, especially developing States, who already have little or no political

will towards pursuing the realization of health rights, seem to hide under neoliberalism to evade

their obligations under international law. In such States, health is seen more as a personal

responsibility than States’ responsibility contrary to the paternalistic, social welfare and fairness

arguments canvassed above. The gist is that although neoliberalism has its own advantages, it

has exposed most governments to the risk of neglecting or evading their obligations under

international law especially as it relates to the right to health. Therefore, national governments

must rethink their neoliberalistic approach to health rights. The caveat however is that in

emphasizing increased governmental responsibility and intervention in health care matters, it is

not hereby implied that government should use unreasonable coercion or violence to meet its

health care targets. In India, for instance, given the government’s campaign against open

defecation, two children were allegedly beaten to death for defecating in the open in central India

45 Ibid
46 See Paul Farmer, “Reimagining Global Health: An Introducton” University o Cali ornia Press Ltd, London, 2013,
pg. 85

14 | P a g e
 whereas reports showed that the children did not have a toilet at home and were prevented by the

caste discrimination practices from accessing the public facilities in the locality.47

7.0 International Cooperation – A Fundamental Necessity to the Enforcement of Health Rights

The importance of global or universal cooperation in the enforcement of health rights cannot be

overemphasized. While all nations are to take individualistic measures towards realizing the right

to health, the nations must also unite each if the right is to be fully realized. It is incontrovertible

that apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, many nations today are confronted with one epidemic

disease or the other which requires international efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

Research shows that in 2016, for instance, a devastating yellow fever outbreak, causing 4347

suspected cases with 377 deaths did hit Angola and spread to other African countries. Some

Chinese nationals who came to Angola also got infected and unknowingly imported the disease

into Asia. Unfortunately, there has been poor national commitment and little international efforts

or attention to the outbreak, which has resulted to the rise of the disease in Africa and the spread

of fake vaccines.48

At least, the COVID -19 pandemic has shown to a great extent how international cooperation

impacts the battle against the spread of epidemic diseases. An unprecedented level of global

cooperation has been witnessed on account of the pandemic. The wide impact of the pandemic

shows clearly that health is an international concern. As has been discussed above, international

cooperation is one of the principles guiding the obligations of States under the international law.

The importance of international cooperation goes beyond the fact that it guarantees global health

to the fact that its neglect can engender the eruption, growth and escalation of a disease that may
47 See Patralekha Chaterjee, “Modiss Health Re orms: Between Hope and Hype” WORLD REPORT, Lancet, Vol.
394, October 26, 2019, pg. 1496
48 See Paul Adepoju, “The Yellow Fever Vaccinaton Certicate Loophole in Nigeria” WORLD REPORT, The Lancet,
Vol. 394, July 20, 2020, pp. 203-204

15 | P a g e
wipe out the whole world. In a unique appeal for international cooperation and national

commitment to health rights, Joanna Palmer employs the use of real life emotional pictures to

inspire the world towards appreciating the overall importance of health. For instance, the scholar

displayed the picture of an abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium in Lecce, Italy and submits that

instead of abandoning the building, it should be transformed into a center for research and

treatment of chronic diseases.49 Another picture is a small shop in Nepal which sells amongst

other things, a product marked as mouth freshener but which has far reaching opposite effects

such as fibrosis and cancer. The truth is that there are many such shops and products all over the

world today (especially in Africa) and little or no efforts are made top checkmate them.

Similarly, another writer, Paul Farmer, criticizes the neglect of the right to health of the poor and

vulnerable persons which he submits is the reason behind the increased cases of tuberculosis

deaths in Russian prisons.50 He argues that globalization, inequality among other things

negatively impact the enjoyment of the right to health 51 and submits inter alia that global effort

through funding is necessary for the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases.52

One of the notable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has drawn the attention of the

world to the importance of international and national health bodies. There are little or no

entertainment, commercial or political activities to distract the world from the existence and

significance of the World Health Organization. In fact, most entertainment auditoriums are now

being converted to health centers. Wealthy and influential figures or institutions are now eager

and willing to release huge funds to support the health soldiers. In Canada, for instance, the

49 Joanna Palmer, “Highlights 2018: Health Stories in Focus” WORLD REPORT, The Lancet, Vol. 392, December
22/29, 2018
50 Paul Farmer, “Pathologies o Power: Health, Human Rights, and The New War on the Poor” University o
Cali ornia Press Ltd, London, 2003, pp 213-214
51 Ibid pg. 225
52 Ibid pg. 237

16 | P a g e
 pandemic has led to the emergence of the “caremonger” movement. The network promotes

mutual aid and community solidarity as a strategic response to the coronavirus pandemic. 53 The

pandemic has exposed the fact that international cooperation and response is more pronounced in

curative that preventive measures. It is strongly wished that after the pandemic is successfully

contained, the world would cooperate more as regards the promotion of preventive health

measures. In this connection, all States and international bodies like the International Monetary

fund (IMF) and the World Bank must adopt a cooperative approach towards ensuring an efficient

universal healthcare system. Beyond monitoring and preventing their citizens from violating the

health rights of the citizens of other countries, there should be intensified international

cooperation between developed and developing countries in terms of financial assistance and

sharing of effective health policies and strategies. There should be free flow of health facilities,

goods and services amongst the States. States who are members of international institutions like

the IMF and World bank should also pay greater attention to health rights in influencing the

policies of the organizations. In the same vein, there should be increased accountability of States

to international bodies like the WHO, UNICEF and the UN Committee on Economic Social and

Cultural Rights as regards their efforts towards realizing the citizens’ health rights and the

challenges encountered in enforcing the rights.

8.0 Conclusion

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease is indeed an eye opener for the world today. The

pandemic clearly shows that health concerns rank above political, economic and entertainment

matters. Many nations are now coming to terms with the need for commitment to health

53 See David Moscrop, “IN Canada, an Inspiring Movement Emerges in Response to the Coronavirus” available at
htps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/24/canada-an-inspiring-movement-emerges-response-
coronavirus/ accessed on March 27, 2020.

17 | P a g e
protection. The global community has seen the impact of international cooperation in combating

health challenges. This research established that health is a universal human right which has been

clearly recognized under international instruments, more importantly, the ICESCR. The

researcher however laments the ambivalence of States to health rights and canvasses for

increased national commitment and political will towards pursuing the realization of these rights.

In final analysis, this paper underscores the overall importance of international cooperation and

recommends that, given the universal importance of health, there is need for a synergy amongst

the States especially between developed and developing States. It is hoped that in the nearest

future, the world would be able to boast of a functional universal health care system applicable to

all States.

18 | P a g e