Protection and human rights considerations: preparedness and response to COVID-19 for South Sudan

The outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020 after the virus had spread to at least 114 countries infecting more than 118,000 individuals, and leading to at least 4,290 reported deaths. COVID-19 will impact each country differently, depending on local health infrastructure, the severity of the spread of the virus, the country’s political, economic and social context, as well as the country’s level of preparedness.

Currently, there have been no reports of a COVID-19 outbreak in South Sudan. Preparedness and Prevention measures are therefore critical at present. In our collective responsibility to support the Government of South Sudan in its preparedness and response mechanisms in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19, we must ensure that these mechanisms are grounded in a human rights-based approach. These mechanisms must recognize, in particular, that the right to health is a fundamental part of the human rights framework and of our understanding of the human right to dignity. They must be cognizant of the fact that all human beings have an equal right to seek health care, and the right to health must be enjoyed without discrimination on the grounds of race, age, ethnicity or any other status (including refugees and internally displaced persons/IDPs).