Developed countries, global health authorities, and pharmaceutical companies at the forefront of the anticipated mass roll out of Covid-19 vaccines must ensure that distribution be equitable and immediately accessible to the rest of the nations if there is to be a global and lasting approach to solving the coronavirus pandemic.
This was the call of Commissioner Gwen Pimentel-Gana of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) with the advent of the development of Covid-19 vaccines in western countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom
These vaccines are now awaiting final-stage trials and eventual emergency use approval by the drug administration in the United States.
At least three leading Covid-19 vaccines with promising efficacy developed by pharmaceutical giants Pfizer, Moderna, and Astra Zeneca are at the cusp of regulatory evaluations and approvals that will pave the massive roll out in billions of doses to be administered to the global population.
Commissioner Gana emphasized that preservation of life is a fundamental human right.
She stressed that now that there is a major development in addressing the pandemic with the expected availability of vaccines, it is primordial that ethical solutions mirror and reflect the principles of human rights, universality and equity which are core values of the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
CHR, Commissioner Gana said, shares the inspired vision of the World Health Organization (WHO) in which peoples of the world attain and promote the highest possible level of health and to “keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.”
At the same time, Commissioner Gana emphasized that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
“It is thus the responsibility of the developed nations to exert equal efforts and focus in distributing and sharing the Covid-19 vaccines to other countries, as they would to their own people,” she said.
After all, the achievement of any State in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all, she said.
Equally important, Commissioner Gana stressed, is that vaccines must be affordable to everyone in every country so that the targeted herd immunity would not be limited to the population of a particular country but to the rest of the global population.
This is the clarion call that, as a global community, every nation in advancing this universal human right to health must act towards one another in the spirit of brotherhood.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the fundamental human right to social security, the protection of their health, and preservation of life through international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State.
Commissioner Gana stressed that the health of all people around the world is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of each individual, including medical care and necessary health services, and the right to security in the event of sickness, Commissioner Gana said. ###