The World Health Day of 7th April, the date marking the founding of the World Health Organization, is a significant occasion to reflect on the essential right of every human being to the most attainable standards of health, as enshrined in numerous international instruments.
Health security requires the creation of an environment enabling the enjoyment of this right and making continued, targeted efforts towards the alleviation of all obstacles hindering it.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights wishes to remind all duty-bearers relevant to the realization of the right to health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT); Israel, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the international community, with their obligations towards the worsening health conditions in the OPT.
Duty-bearers, be they States or non-State actors, have clear obligations concerning ensuring due respect, protection and fulfillment of the right to health.
This includes ensuring the right of each person of a program availing accessible and adequate health services that are of adequate quality.
It also includes, as the CESCR asserts, dealing with significant determinants to health, such as potable water, sanitation services and clean environment.
Duty-bearers much, at least make sure that their acts do not interfere with every person's right to pursue the enjoyment of her right to health.
In a reality of an armed conflict such as this lived in OPT, the right to health is subjected to serious obstacles that emanate, directly or indirectly, from the conflict.
The health system in OPT is suffering from a chronic weakness as the PNA has failed to develop it to reach internationally accepted standards.
It also suffers from the declining resources available to make it function normally.
Israeli and international sanctions caused much deterioration to the availability and accessibility by people to adequate health services.
The restrictions on mobility and access, owing to closure of Gaza and the Separation Wall in the West Bank, have also caused serious decline to access health services and availability of crucial medicines and equipment.
As the risks to have avian flu are standing, OPT faces challenges beyond the PNA's capacity, necessitating effective international economic and technical cooperation.
Notwithstanding the economic conditions in OPT, people's capacity to access health services has been seriously undermined owing to the seriously high levels of poverty and unemployment.
As such, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights calls upon the afore-mentioned duty-bearers to take steps towards the full implementation of the right to health in OPT.
It particularly calls upon the PNA to take steps and develop action plans and allocate adequate resources to improve the health system.
It also calls upon the international community to end its sanctions against the PNA, and to exert pressure on Israel to lift its unjustified siege and its withholding of Palestinian tax revenues; a major obstacle in the way of pursuing fulfillment of the right to health in OPT.
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