We reflect on the extent to which Nordic countries have safeguarded the right to health of older persons during the pandemic in 2020. All Nordic states have ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and thereby committed to recognising the right to health. We use the AAAQ framework developed by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to draw attention to aspects of the respective states’ responses. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the health of older persons, from the direct effects of the virus, such as illness and death, to indirect impacts, like isolation and loneliness. We find that Nordic states have at times failed to prioritise the full realisation of the core obligations of the right to health for older persons, namely, non-discrimination and provision of essential healthcare. Resource constraints cannot justify discrimination or failure to respect autonomy, integrity and human dignity.

我们反思2020年疫情期间北欧国家在多大程度上保障了老年人的健康权。所有北欧国家都批准了《经济、社会和文化权利国际公约》，从而承诺承认健康权。我们利用经济、社会和文化权利委员会制定的AAAQ框架来提请人们关注各国应对措施的各个方面。 COVID -19 大流行对老年人的健康产生了重大影响，从病毒的直接影响（例如疾病和死亡）到间接影响（例如孤立和孤独）。我们发现，北欧国家有时未能优先考虑充分实现老年人健康权的核心义务，即不歧视和提供基本医疗保健。资源限制不能成为歧视或不尊重自主性、完整性和人类尊严的理由。