Zika: Public Health (and Safety) Emergencies

George J. Annas Professor & Director, Center for Health

Law, Ethics & Human Rights Boston University Schools of

Public Health, Medicine, and Law

by George Annas, Sandro Galea and Donald Thea BOSTON GLOBE, Feb. 1, 2016

“Zika virus is not Ebola”

“A Gold Medal in Fear Mongering” Galea, Thea & Annas HUFFINGTON POST, June 2, 2016

Major Human Rights Documents

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) • Geneva Conventions • International Covenant Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) • International Covenant Economic, Social and Cultural

Rights (ICESCR) • Convention and the Rights of the Child (CRC)

• Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

• America First

• Seal the Borders

• A “public health emergency of international concern” (art. 12)

• “extraordinary event…risk of international spread of disease…potentially requiring an international response.”

The sovereign right [of each state to legislate and implement health policies shall be respected]

• H1N1 (2009)

• Polio (2014) • Ebola

(2014) • Zika (2016)

Public Health Emergency Responses

1. Prevention remains primary goal (a) can’t make prevention efforts worse off; (b) can’t create ‘worse’ viruses/infectious agents.

2. Government has Primary Responsibility (therefore must

follow basic human rights law, esp. nondiscrimination; right to health; women & children).

3. Must be Sustainable; should contribute to building a health care system and infrastructure, not silos.

4. No emergency exceptions to informed consent for

research. (including gene drives)