Журнал. World association for medical law. The COVID-19 pandemic. Volume 39 2

206 Medicine and Law recognise the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. ” 1 The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), General Comment 14, explains that “ right to health embraces a wide range of socio-economic factors that promote conditions in which people can lead a healthy life, and extends to the underlying determinants of health. ” 2 CESCR describes the determinants of health including (not limited to): - Adequate supply of safe food and nutrition - Housing - Access to safe and portable water and adequate sanitation - Safe and healthy working conditions - Healthy occupational and environmental conditions - Access to health-related education and information Frieden’s Health Impact Pyramid has identified the socio-economic factors with a higher impact on public health with reduced costs and efforts from individuals, 3 compared to clinical intervention of individuals. There is a call for governments to strengthen or create a legal framework to ensure rights-based Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on the basis of principles of equity and non-discrimination, including affordability, financial protection, transparency, accountability, participation, privacy and sustainable financing (UN, 2019). 4 Essential elements consist: 1. Availability - public health and basic healthcare facilities, goods, services and programmes 2. Accessibility - non-discriminative, without barrier, right to seek and receive health information 1 UN General Assembly. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 16 December 1966, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, p. 3, available at: https://www. refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36c0.html [accessed 11 May 2020] 2 UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) (2000). General Comment No. 14: The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Art. 12 of the Covenant), 11 August 2000, E/C.12/2000/4, available at: https://www.refworld.org/ docid/4538838d0.html [acces 11 May 2020] 3 Frieden TR (2015). The Health Impact Pyramid. N Engl J Med 373, 1748-1754 4 United Nation (2019). Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World (2019) NewYork: UN. https://www.un.org/pga/73/event/universal-health-coverage/ [access 11 May 2020]