UN Special Rapporteur on right to health to visit Armenia

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Pūras, will visit Armenia from 25 September to 5 October 2017, to assess to what extent people’s right to health is being realized, Armenpress reports citing the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner website.

“The purpose of this visit is to learn how Armenia is working to guarantee people’s right to health, including the measures already taken, the achievements made and the challenges that remain,” said Mr. Pūras, the first Special Rapporteur on the right to health to visit the country.

The Special Rapporteur will examine the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of healthcare services, as well as factors that affect the realization of the right to health, such as poverty, discrimination and violence.

“I will be particularly interested in addressing specific issues that come within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the expert said. “These include universal health coverage, health promotion and the prevention of non-communicable diseases, primary healthcare, mental health care – in particular community-based services, the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and the role of academic medicine, medical education and research”.

The Special Rapporteur will examine the situation of particular groups within the population, such as women, children, migrants, people who use drugs, and people with disabilities. He will have meetings and visit facilities and institutions in Yerevan, Abovyan, Dilijan, Spitak, and Vanazdor.

Mr. Pūras will present a comprehensive report on his visit to Armenia to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2018.