Skip to main content

Urban Refugees’ right to healthcare services in the wake of COVID-19: Leave No One Behind

By


As the global community tirelessly grapples to contain the spread of COVID-19, I am worried about the fate of hundreds of thousands of urban refugees living in Uganda; a country with an ailing healthcare system that is largely characterized by drug stock-outs, shortage of health workers, limited access to health services and limited coping capacity. That notwithstanding, Uganda hosts approximately 1,394,678 refugees fleeing persecution, conflict, devastating effects of climate change, and human rights violations from neighboring countries such as Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan among others. Out of 1,394,378 refugees, 66,464 refugees reside in Kampala (Kampala central, Makindye, Kawempe, Nakawa, Nansana, and Rubaga).

Non-recognition of their status as refugees, especially Congolese demonstrates their unique legal, social and economic vulnerability which threatens their basic human rights, including access to healthcare. In addition, living conditions among urban refugees are nothing but a dire representation of the stage already set by the healthcare system; with inadequate access to soap and clean water, crowded housing, and shared bathrooms reigning commonplace. Such a population is disproportionately vulnerable to the virus and unable to practice ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’.

What then, does the onslaught of COVID-19 spell for urban refugees’ right to healthcare services?
That, the right to health is universally recognized is without doubt. Uganda, being a signatory to several international human rights instruments as well as under its 1995 Constitution, is obliged to respect, protect and fulfil the right to health. May be most conspicuous in the circumstances is the international core obligation to ensure access to health facilities, good quality health services and goods to all without discrimination. In the context of urban refugees, this translates into taking all reasonable measures to ensure that such people attain their highest standard of health amid the spread of COVID-19.

Uganda registered the first COVID-19 case  on March 21 2020. Since then, there has been a gradual increase in the number of patients testing positive. As of 5 April, confirmed cases had hit 52 across seven districts; Kampala, Wakiso, Kayunga, Masaka, Iganga, Adjumani, and Hoima (2). Consequently, His Excellency, the President imposed a 14- day lockdown in an attempt to flatten the curve and mitigate widespread of the virus.  People across Uganda are urged to stay at home, practice social distancing, avoid mass gatherings, and use of private and public passenger vehicles is prohibited. These directives have left thousands, particularly refugee women and unaccompanied children, even more vulnerable to the health effects of the pandemic.

Such unprecedented times remind us that pandemics like COVID-19 do not discriminate and that they are borderless; yet, our collective health is only as strong as the person’s next to us. COVID-19 is a brutal reminder that we should be mindful of vulnerable persons like urban refugees who are at a greater risk if the virus spreads given the conditions they are in. We should also make a reflection on the overall living conditions among urban refugees in the post COVID-19 crisis; the importance of ensuring sustainable progress with respect to social rights - particularly access to healthcare among urban refugees.

Considering the transnational health challenges paused by the virus, it is time for a renewed global solidarity. A coordinated and aligned strategy across multilateral donor agencies could be more effective to strengthen provision of goods and services among overlooked populations like urban refugees to ensure that any response to COVID-19 is in line with UN 2030 Agenda of “LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND”.   Therefore, UN agencies, international NGOs and national networks should support robust country-led community engagement and communication efforts to ensure that urban refugees are aware of the potential risks of COVID-19, receive accurate information, have access to health services and that health workers can access all relevant supplies.

In the meantime, the government has a duty to protect and promote socio-economic rights of urban refugees. The duty calls for all key- stakeholders to place this vulnerable population at the core of COVID-19 public health measures, strategies, and policy design as to encourage them to stay within their designated residents to avoid further spread of the virus. Such critical steps could include; distribution of basic hygiene essentials (soap and clean water), tone down restrictions on movement to ease access to healthcare facilities, psychosocial support and dissemination of information in an appropriate format and language on the nature of the virus, its prevention and treatment.


In brief, the state should ensure that its COVID-19 response is human rights- complaint and safeguards the rights of those most at risk in contexts such as this- we can flatten the COVID-19 curve, only when each and every one of us is protected.

By: Labila Sumayah Musoke
East Africa Public Interest Lawyer
Initiative for Social Economic Rights (ISER)
labirasumaya@gmail.com
+256750009675
PHM Uganda member

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creating an Africa-wide People's Health Movement

By
Our manifesto As the IPHU participants from the 'Africa Group’ we have agreed that in order to strengthen the movement, we would each need to first start by working locally, strengthening the PHM activities in our respective countries, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. We commit to support each other in developing and strengthening the PHM in each of our countries as we work towards an Africa-wide People’s Health Movement. The role of PHM is to bring together organisations and individuals already working for the Right to Health under the banner of this shared vision of “Health for all, now!” PHM Africa is an organisation, not a movement. Anyone who endorses the charter and is working in the struggle for the right to health for all can join PHM Africa. The objectives and activities of our campaign are defined and developed by our members. We will strive to further the movement starting on this blog by connecting with others, sharing experiences,...
Post a Comment
Read more

PHM-SA Right to health training, Philipi.

By
Background The training was organised as part of the Right to Health Campaign being led by the People’s Health Movement (PHM) in South Africa . The Campaign was launched in September 2007 and has three components – Capacity building, media and testimonies. The training is conceived as part of capacity building and raising awareness in communities about the right to health and what that entails. It complements the other components of the campaign, by, for example, empowering the participants to go out and train others, and allow community groups to participate in a process of gathering of stories related to the right to health. The training held at Bonne Esperance was the first of the PHM’s workshops in the campaign so was a learning experience for all. In all, there were 22 participants from 4 organisations (Mamelani, Stukkende Plaas action group, Proudly Manenberg and Bonne Esperance), as well as 7 facilitators from PHM. Programme The programme ran from 9am to 3.30pm . ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Presidential Summit on Universal Health in Nigeria: Excerpts

By
Shared by PHM Nigeria: --- Forwarded message ---------- From: gbenga adedayo < omindav@yahoo.com > Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 12:30 PM Subject: Presidential Summit on Universal Health in Nigeria: Excerpts Dear All, This is just to share citation from the one-day presidential summit that held in Abuja on Monday (10th March). Objective of Summit according to the minister of Health: Minister of Health, Professor Oyebuchi Chukwu, said the aim of the summit, among other objectives, was to unlock the opportunities for universally accessible, effective, efficient and equitable healthcare in Nigeria. He stated that the summit was meant to demonstrate government's commitment to achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria. According to him, ensuring health for majority of people would require both availability and accessibility to health infrastructure and services. “The summit is not stopping all current efforts to achieving universal health cov...
Post a Comment
Read more