Groningen Centre for Health Law

Natalie Schuck - “Although the COVID-19 crisis is, in the first instance, a physical health crisis, it has the seeds of a major mental health crisis as well, if action is not taken”, as per the policy brief by the United Nations published in mid-May. Months earlier, the WHO and other organizations already outlined the danger of COVID-19-related psychological distress and published information on how to take care of one’s mental health and well-being.

Elisavet Athanasia Alexiadou - Since the onset of this unprecedented global public health crisis owed to the Covid-19 outbreak and its rapid global spread, serious concerns have been voiced regarding the limited role that transparency is playing in global health governance and particularly in ensuring the right to health (care) for all during the Covid-19 pandemic. Crucially, in times of public health emergencies a significant transparency gap tends to exist in the governance framework

Nicolle Zeegers - How governments approach the Covid-19 crisis is not only interesting from the political science viewpoint; it also has wide-reaching implications for global health. Political regimes find themselves on a continuum between the democratic and the authoritarian ends.

Robert Simons has gained extensive knowledge as a practitioner working with human rights. Simons was previously the Nurse Director of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and has international healthcare experience in Sudan, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Ratna Juwita - Anti-corruption is an important aspect that has to be prioritized during the public health emergency. During the public health emergency, one of the most important activities in dealing with pandemics is to provide quality medical equipment, medicine, and health services in a sufficient number through the procurement process

Brigit Toebes - The Netherlands, a country with 17 million inhabitants, had its first COVID-19 hospitalizations in the beginning of March 2020. On March 16th, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a range of measures aimed at “maximum control,” but not “maximum containment” of the virus: in other words, social distancing measures, but no full lockdown.

Dr Cheluchi Onyemelukwe - The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global crisis with short and long-term implications for health, the economy and social relations, especially in resource-constrained countries such as Nigeria. In Africa’s second most populous country with about 200 million the possibility of a public health disaster has implications not only for its citizens but for the West Africa region.

In celebration of her PhD defence, Voices in the Field interviewed Eva Zhang about her experience as a researcher specialising in the right to health in China.

Marlies Hesselman - Nearly two months ago, two Chairs of US House Committees observed that ‘[a]ccess to clean water is a basic human right at all times’

Brigit Toebes - Landen werken al anderhalve eeuw samen als het gaat om de bestrijding van infectieziekten. Sinds de 19e eeuw bestaan hiertoe internationale ‘sanitaire’ regelingen. De uitbraak van het coronavirus (COVID-19) wordt gereguleerd door de recente Internationale Gezondheidsregeling, die sinds 2007 bindend is voor alle landen ter wereld.5 Deze Regeling is aangenomen in het kader van de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie (WHO i), het gespecialiseerde orgaan van de Verenigde Naties dat toeziet op de bescherming van de mondiale gezondheid.