ZADHR statement on International Human Rights Day

on December 10, 2020 in COVID-19, Press Statements

STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

10 DECEMBER 2020

THE Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Human Rights Day (IHRD) under the theme “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights”. As the world is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted on people’s rights due to the introduction of restrictive measures aimed at controlling the spread of the virus, Zimbabwe has not been spared either.

The advent of the lockdown in Zimbabwe saw citizens being subjected to human rights violations by State security agents deployed to enforce lockdown regulations. Further, access to healthcare was impacted as individuals with chronic illnesses and pregnant women were unable to access treatment. Frontline personnel such as healthcare professionals operated with minimum or no access to personal protective equipment, leaving them exposed to COVID-19. To date, over 700 health professionals have been infected by the deadly virus.  

This year’s theme, which focuses on the need for governments to prioritise human rights of citizens as they work on the pandemic’s recovery plans, rightfully places the burden of care and responsibility on the State as the primary institution constitutionally mandated to safeguard the rights of citizens. The IHRD, therefore, offers an opportunity for the government and all stakeholders to join hands, evaluate and appraise each other on providing human rights-centred strategies to improve response and recovery from the pandemic.

In that light, ZADHR continues to reiterate that rights-based approaches to management of pandemics is essential in respecting human dignity and protecting human rights in the design and implementation of response measures.