GENEVA (Switzerland): United Nations (UN) human rights experts have expressed deep concern over the resurgence of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, warning that the deadly virus predominantly impacts Indigenous peoples.
“The Ebola outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. It is most prominent within or near the territories of Indigenous peoples,” the experts said.
Highlighting the Pygmy Indigenous peoples, the experts note that they often face structural exclusion. “These communities, whose way of life is mobile, depend closely on their territories and natural resources for their subsistence, identity and well-being. Moreover, their limited access to health services makes them particularly exposed to this epidemic.”
The experts welcomed ongoing initiatives by concerned States to contain the outbreak. They called on other States, the international community and United Nations agencies engaged in this effort to ensure equitable and non-discriminatory access to healthcare, as well as to strengthen targeted support for Indigenous Peoples affected or at risk from this epidemic, according to a press release from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
“Responses to Ebola must be guided by international standards relating to the rights of Indigenous peoples, including their rights to health, equal protection and cultural identity. The particular vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples to this epidemic must be recognized and integrated into response strategies,” the experts said. The experts are Tlaleng Mofokeng, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and Albert K. Barume, UNHCR Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
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