By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Civil Society Advocacy Human Rights Platform of Liberia has advanced a six count recommendation calling the on the government to ensure the respect for human rights, in the wake of the introduction of unprecedented measures in combating coronavirus in the country.
Among other things, the Platform announced the constitution of a national task force purposely to monitor and document health and human rights violations during the and after the pandemic in Liberia.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the human rights communityin Monrovia this week, the group’s Secretary General, Adama Dempster, said the government needs to ensure the protection for all citizens to include health workers, at all times with adherence to human rights best practices.
The CSO Advocacy Human Rights Platform official said the current situation is characterized by inadequate health financing, underdeveloped health services infrastructure, a shortage of both human resources for health and essential medic al supplies and limited administrative and managerial competence.
Mr. Dempster cautioned the government to respect and apply human rights principles to health measures by ensuring that people affected by the lockdown are provided basic social services and livelihood.
The human rights community wants the government to provide daily update on the country status with regards to the corona virus and avoid too much of officials of government giving out contradictory statements.
It is recommended by the Civil Society Human Rights Platform that the international community provide all necessary assistance and support to combat the corona virus during and after the pandemic in Liberia.
The human rights community has meanwhile, welcomed the precautionary measured been put in place by the government to combat the global outbreak of the deadly disease, which has claimed over 400,000 lives and affected thousands of others.
“We encourage the Health Ministry , the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and international partners to ensure the availability of medical equipment and personnel at various ports of entry and quarantine centers to robustly respond to all suspicious and confirmed cases,” he said; adding: “all quarantine and withholding facilities should meet up with the best human rights practices.” “We are making unequivocally clear that health matters are human rights which borders on the rights to health in line with the World Health Organization key facts under the universal health converge.”