Health and Racism: GI-ESCR submitted input to the Next Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

The Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights responded to the call for inputs of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health on the theme of Health and Racism, that will be the subject of her next report.

In the submission, GI-ESCR emphasised how the commercialisation of healthcare services can undermine the enjoyment of the right to health, with marginalised groups such as indigenous peoples, minorities and those living in marginalised areas being at particular high risk. Recently, this has been emphasised also by human rights treaty bodies, as described in GI-ESCR’s compendium.

GI-ESCR shared findings from its recent reports on the right to health and access to healthcare services in urban informal settlements of Kenya and Nigeria. GI-ESCR also shared emerging findings from our ongoing research on the rights of indigenous people in the context of access to healthcare services.

The submission also analyses how public services and rights-aligned fiscal polcies are essential for the realisation of the right to health of all without discrimination, including on racial grounds.

Read more about our health work here.