The protection of health, initially implemented in terms of charity, in favour of the poor and the destitute and by specific public and private bodies, with the conclusion of numerous international treaties becomes a fundamental human right that no longer falls within the exclusive competence of the State alone. The value and crucial role of the right to health have been recently rediscovered during the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the serious health crisis found the international community and the European Union unprepared to give an unequivocal and coordinated response to guarantee the protection of this fundamental right. The article undertakes a critical analysis of the contribution made so far to tackling the global threat posed by COVID-19, on the one hand, by the WHO, the main international organization dealing with global health and, on the other hand, by the European Union, a regional integration organization to which States have not attributed competences in health matters.