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COVID-19 Showcased Failed Global Cooperation

Bill of Health

By Kayum Ahmed, Julia Bleckner, and Kyle Knight In mid-May, the World Health Organization officially declared the “emergency” phase of the COVID-19 pandemic over. As reasonable and evidence-based adjustments to prevent transmission and protect health became the norm, authorities continued to fail on equity.

COVID-19 299
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Human Rights Principles in Public Health Emergencies: From the Siracusa Principles to COVID-19 and Beyond

Bill of Health

Yet when COVID-19 – the greatest health emergency in a century – devastated the world, the Siracusa Principles seemed unequal to the task – too narrow, including with their remit limited to civil and political rights, not sufficiently specific, and above all, without sufficient accountability.

COVID-19 284
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The COVID-19 Pandemic, the Failure of the Binary PHEIC Declaration System, and the Need for Reform

Bill of Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised unprecedented challenges for the global health framework and its long-term consequences are not yet in full sight. This was witnessed in the early stages of COVID-19, when Vietnam and Taiwan decided to adopt stringent measures well before the end of January. By Ilja Richard Pavone.

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Conclusion to the Symposium: From Principles to Practice: Human Rights and Public Health Emergencies

Bill of Health

While receiving significant global traction and acceptance since their publication in 1985, the Siracusa Principles, the authors argue, proved to be simply “unequal to the task” of guiding States’ conduct in the context of COVID-19 because they are “unable to speak in any significant detail to the particular concerns of public health crises.”

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Introduction to the Symposium: From Principles to Practice: Human Rights and Public Health Emergencies

Bill of Health

By Roojin Habibi, Timothy Fish Hodgson, and Alicia Ely Yamin Today, as the world transitions from living in the grips of a novel coronavirus to living with an entrenched, widespread infectious disease known as COVID-19, global appreciation for the human rights implications of public health crises are once again rapidly fading from view.

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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Responding to Public Health Emergencies by Upholding Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law

Bill of Health

By Anita Gholami The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which brings together parliamentarians from 46 member States, has been a vigilant guardian of respect for the European Convention on Human Rights and other international standards throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Non-State Actors and Public Health Emergencies

Bill of Health

Reports by the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) and partners showed that this situation was a breeding ground for discrimination and inequality in accessing health care services during COVID-19.