5th Periodic Report under the International Covenant for Economic Social and Cultural Rights Feedback
Article 12: Right to physical and mental health
Read the text in the report here.
The Covenant recognises the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
The Covenant requires countries to take steps to create a healthy environment and workplace, to prevent, control and treat disease, and to promote a health system so that everyone can get medical help when sick.
The report outlines developments in areas such as addressing health inequities for population groups, access to care, mental health, reproductive health, rainbow rights to health, and assisted dying.
Committee recommendations
The paragraph numbers below relate to the Committee's concluding observations that you can access here.
45. The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to close the gaps in the enjoyment of the right to health by improving the health outcomes of Māori and Pasifika, in close collaboration with the groups concerned. In particular, the Committee recommends that the State party reinstate the Māori health plans, increase its investment in customary Māori public health systems and ensure that the groups concerned are represented and empowered in decision-making processes in health and disability policy, design, planning and delivery. It draws the State party’s attention to its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
47. The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to ensure the availability and appropriate provision of mental health services, including community-based care, for those members of society who need them, including prison inmates. The Committee also recommends that the State party ensure that the independent inquiry into mental health and addiction services be provided with adequate resources, and take steps to implement the recommendations arising from the inquiry, once they are available.