GENEVA - A UN expert* today called for dignity to be systematically embedded within governance, policies and institutional processes that shape relationships between States, private sector, civil society, communities and individuals, as a cornerstone for ensuring the right to health for all.
"Health cannot be realised without dignity, and dignity cannot flourish without health," said Tlaleng Mofokeng, the Special Rapporteur on the right to health.
In her final report to the Human Rights Council, Mofokeng focused on health as an enabler of dignity, examining how it functions both as a foundational principle of the right to health and as a practical condition for its realisation.
The report highlights how violations of dignity are root causes of poor health outcomes. "These violations disproportionately impact individuals, groups and communities that have been systematically marginalised," the Special Rapporteur said.
"Dignity cannot be an abstract claim or aspiration," she said. "Efforts to realise the right to health must recognise the diversity of human experiences and address both historical and ongoing injustices."
The report sets out recommendations to operationalise dignity within the right to health, including respecting individuals' identity, dignity and autonomy by ensuring equality, non‑discrimination, privacy, and confidentiality across all health policies and practices. The expert called for participatory governance, including advisory bodies, community oversight, and inclusive budgeting processes that meaningfully engage marginalised groups.
Mofokeng urged reform of punitive legal frameworks, emphasising the need to repeal those that harm public health and human rights and arguing that decriminalisation is essential to achieving the right to health.
"Accountability is a shared commitment that violations of human dignity will not be tolerated," the expert said. "Effective accountability strengthens public trust and reinforces the normative force of the right to health."
"Realising the right to health for all means that the plurality of human experiences must be taken into account. We cannot be ignorant of the historical and ongoing injustices that necessitate a common commitment to equity," the Special Rapporteur said.
