The right to life is at the heart of the protection of all human rights. Its respect and protection are required by manifold treaties and by customary international law. Further, given its inclusion in the Constitution of 157 States, the right to life exists also as a general principle of law that suffuses the law of nations. The final chapter of the work suggests some of the main progress in understanding the right to life and some of the main challenges that will face us in the future.

This chapter considers the future of health issues and how health promotion will be needed and challenged. The chapter discusses the relationship between the environment and human health through the lens of concepts including the Ottawa Charter, systems thinking approaches and One Health. A detailed discussion of health promotion relating to the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of clear health communication, while also considering the ways personal beliefs, societal expectations and different cultures can affect the implementation and success of health communication. Finally the chapter looks at the ways in which health promotion will need to respond the diverse needs within society in order to increase equality and inclusion.