The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Lisa Montel; Anuj Kapilashrami; Michel P Coleman; Claudia Allemani

The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Lisa Montel^*, Anuj Kapilashrami, Michel P Coleman, Claudia Allemani

^*Corresponding author for this work

University of Bristol Law School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

The UK's response to COVID-19 has been widely criticized by scientists and the public. According to EuroMOMO, a European mortality monitoring initiative, the excess mortality that may be attributable to COVID-19 in England is one of the highest in Europe, second only to Spain. While critiqued from a public health perspective, much less attention is given to the implications of the pandemic outbreak for the right to health as defined under international human rights law and ratified by member states. Using the UK as a case study, we examine critically the extent to which the government's response to COVID-19 complied with the legal framework of the right to health. We review further key states' obligations on the right to health and assess its suitability in times of pandemic. Finally, we offer some recommendations for an update of the right to health. This paper adds to the body of literature on the right to health and human rights based-approaches to health.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	227-242
Number of pages	16
Journal	Health and Human Rights Journal
Volume	22
Issue number	2
Publication status	Published - 10 Dec 2020

Structured keywords

Covid19
LAW Centre for Health Law and Society
LAW Human Rights Implementation Centre

Keywords

COVID-19/mortality
Disease Outbreaks
Europe
Health Personnel
Human Rights/legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
Organizational Case Studies
Public Health
Right to Health
SARS-CoV-2
United Kingdom
Vulnerable Populations

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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Harvard University Press at https://www.hhrjournal.org/2020/11/the-right-to-health-in-times-of-pandemic-what-can-we-learn-from-the-uks-response-to-the-covid-19-outbreak/ . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Final published version, 221 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

https://www.hhrjournal.org/2020/11/the-right-to-health-in-times-of-pandemic-what-can-we-learn-from-the-uks-response-to-the-covid-19-outbreak/

Cite this

@article{3b0636617d1c4fad91163a251490588a,

title = "The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?",

abstract = "The UK's response to COVID-19 has been widely criticized by scientists and the public. According to EuroMOMO, a European mortality monitoring initiative, the excess mortality that may be attributable to COVID-19 in England is one of the highest in Europe, second only to Spain. While critiqued from a public health perspective, much less attention is given to the implications of the pandemic outbreak for the right to health as defined under international human rights law and ratified by member states. Using the UK as a case study, we examine critically the extent to which the government's response to COVID-19 complied with the legal framework of the right to health. We review further key states' obligations on the right to health and assess its suitability in times of pandemic. Finally, we offer some recommendations for an update of the right to health. This paper adds to the body of literature on the right to health and human rights based-approaches to health.",

keywords = "COVID-19/mortality, Disease Outbreaks, Europe, Health Personnel, Human Rights/legislation & jurisprudence, Humans, Organizational Case Studies, Public Health, Right to Health, SARS-CoV-2, United Kingdom, Vulnerable Populations",

author = "Lisa Montel and Anuj Kapilashrami and Coleman, {Michel P} and Claudia Allemani",

note = "Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 Montel, Kapilashrami, Coleman, and Allemani.",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

day = "10",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "227--242",

journal = "Health and Human Rights Journal",

issn = "1079-0969",

publisher = "Harvard University Press",

number = "2",

}

Montel, L, Kapilashrami, A, Coleman, MP & Allemani, C 2020, 'The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?', Health and Human Rights Journal, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 227-242. <https://www.hhrjournal.org/2020/11/the-right-to-health-in-times-of-pandemic-what-can-we-learn-from-the-uks-response-to-the-covid-19-outbreak/>

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic

T2 - What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?

AU - Montel, Lisa

AU - Kapilashrami, Anuj

AU - Coleman, Michel P

AU - Allemani, Claudia

PY - 2020/12/10

Y1 - 2020/12/10

N2 - The UK's response to COVID-19 has been widely criticized by scientists and the public. According to EuroMOMO, a European mortality monitoring initiative, the excess mortality that may be attributable to COVID-19 in England is one of the highest in Europe, second only to Spain. While critiqued from a public health perspective, much less attention is given to the implications of the pandemic outbreak for the right to health as defined under international human rights law and ratified by member states. Using the UK as a case study, we examine critically the extent to which the government's response to COVID-19 complied with the legal framework of the right to health. We review further key states' obligations on the right to health and assess its suitability in times of pandemic. Finally, we offer some recommendations for an update of the right to health. This paper adds to the body of literature on the right to health and human rights based-approaches to health.

AB - The UK's response to COVID-19 has been widely criticized by scientists and the public. According to EuroMOMO, a European mortality monitoring initiative, the excess mortality that may be attributable to COVID-19 in England is one of the highest in Europe, second only to Spain. While critiqued from a public health perspective, much less attention is given to the implications of the pandemic outbreak for the right to health as defined under international human rights law and ratified by member states. Using the UK as a case study, we examine critically the extent to which the government's response to COVID-19 complied with the legal framework of the right to health. We review further key states' obligations on the right to health and assess its suitability in times of pandemic. Finally, we offer some recommendations for an update of the right to health. This paper adds to the body of literature on the right to health and human rights based-approaches to health.

KW - COVID-19/mortality

KW - Disease Outbreaks

KW - Europe

KW - Health Personnel

KW - Human Rights/legislation & jurisprudence

KW - Humans

KW - Organizational Case Studies

KW - Public Health

KW - Right to Health

KW - SARS-CoV-2

KW - United Kingdom

KW - Vulnerable Populations

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 33390709

VL - 22

SP - 227

EP - 242

JO - Health and Human Rights Journal

JF - Health and Human Rights Journal

SN - 1079-0969

IS - 2

ER -

The Right to Health in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the UK's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Abstract

Structured keywords

Keywords

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