Luxembourg could lead the way on right to health: UN expert

LUXEMBOURG CITY (26 April 2023) – Luxembourg must seize the momentum to become a leader in realising the right to health, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health Tlaleng Mofokeng said today.
“In order to achieve the goal of substantive equality, it is essential to start with the needs of the most vulnerable in society,” Mofokeng said in a statement at the end of a 10-day visit to the country.

The UN expert noted that the formulation of the right to health in the Constitution must be understood and expressed in law as a comprehensive right that relates not only to access to health facilities, but also to the underlying determinants of health.

The Special Rapporteur welcomed an agreement between the Government and National Health Funds, implemented from 1 April 2023, ensuring full contraceptive coverage without age limits. She also welcomed the 2018 National Action Plan for LGBTI persons, which focuses on the right to health for all, as an important achievement in combating discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“The proposed national health framework should establish multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and interdepartmental institutional responsibility for the implementation of the national strategy and action plan on the right to health,” Mofokeng said. “National mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of national health strategies and action plans are essential,” she said.

During her visit, the expert met with high-level officials of the Government and representatives of civil society, professional associations, and health professionals.

The Special Rapporteur will present her final report, including key recommendations, to the Human Rights Council in June 2024.

ENDS

Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.