Healthcare is a right, not a privilege
International and United Nations (UN) conventions on human rights maintain the right to healthcare. Governments and the international community have three layers of responsibility regarding healthcare, particularly healthcare in a humanitarian emergency. These international frameworks and regulations — international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law — govern the global response to humanitarian crises.
Understanding these legal and regulatory mechanisms can strengthen advocacy efforts and protect the rights of people with diabetes. In a disaster situation, organisations and individuals can appeal to these international laws and conventions and relevant UN bodies like the World Health Organization to demand accountability and ensure access to appropriate diabetes care and supplies.
The right to health, as enshrined in various international human rights treaties, requires governments to respect, protect and fulfil the health needs of their citizens, including those with chronic conditions like diabetes. This responsibility remains during humanitarian crises, and governments must ensure that healthcare, including diabetes management, is not compromised.
The Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law mechanisms explicitly mandate the provision of healthcare to civilians, wounded combatants and prisoners of war during armed conflicts. This legal framework can be leveraged to advocate for including diabetes care in the humanitarian response, potentially saving countless lives.
The Refugee Convention also recognises the importance of maintaining appropriate standards of healthcare for displaced populations, including those with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Advocacy efforts can highlight the need for continuous diabetes management services for refugees and internally displaced persons.
The International Charter of Rights and Responsibilities of People with Diabetes, drafted in 2011 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), sets out the rights and responsibilities of people with diabetes. This charter embraces the Universal Declaration of Human Rights principles of health and human rights and builds on core human rights instruments. Diabetes advocates can reference the rights outlined in the charter and include them in national emergency preparedness plans for diabetes care, prevention, research and education.