The National Commission on Benefits of the National Health Treasury (CNS) provided free medical insurance for the elderly. Alejandro Cuba Plaza, a beneficiary of CNS, was diagnosed with “terminal chronic kidney failure” and treated with ongoing hemodialysis at Obrero Hospital. After 52 weeks of treatment, CNS ordered the Director of Obrero Hospital to transfer Plaza …Read more

The Petitioners were persons living with HIV. They brought action against the Ministry of Health of Argentina for failing to provide necessary medical treatment guaranteed by the Programa Nacional de Lucha contra el S.I.D.A. (National Programme Against AIDS). Petitioners filed a writ of amparo requesting judicial protection of their right to health and requesting that …Read more

Man brought appeal for legal protection against the Superintendence for the Welfare of Federal Police of Argentina (Superintendencia de Bienestar de la Policía Federal Argentina), requesting that the court order the Superintendence to continue to provide the economic assistance needed to cover overseas treatment for his daughter, who suffered from spinal muscular atrophy (Werdning-Hoffman disease). …Read more

The Petitioner brought action against Obra Social de Empleados de Comercio y Actividades Civiles (Osecac) for discrimination and violations of his rights to life and health. The Petitioner had received health insurance coverage from Osecac through his employer for seven years. Following termination of his job, the Petitioner sought to continue coverage with Osecac. However, …Read more

Petitioner, a man seeking treatment for infertility, alleges on behalf of others seeking treatment that the Government of Costa Rica’s prohibition on access to in vitro fertilization, one of the treatments available, constitutes violations of Articles 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11(2), 17, 24, 25, 26 and 32 of the American Convention on Human Rights, …Read more

Nine inmates died from a fire at juvenile detention center “Colonel Panchito López” Juvenile Reeducation Institute (Center), one inmate died from a bullet wound sustained at the Center, and 37 inmates sustained injuries and smoke inhalation from three fires at the Center. The Center was under the authority of the Ministry of Justice and Labor …Read more

The petitioner filed a writ of amparo (appeal for legal protection) against the Ministry of Health of Peru. She sought free administration of comprehensive medical treatment for HIV, including both the continuous delivery of necessary medicines and the performance of periodic CD4 cell count and viral load tests upon medical indication and/or the patient’s urgent …Read more

Five petitions brought separate challenges to Act IV of 1978 on the Hungarian Criminal Code (“Act”) related to the misuse of narcotic drugs. They argued that the Parliament had failed to ensure the exercise of the right to self-determination when it ordered the punishment of the production and cultivation of a small amount of narcotic …Read more

A human rights organization acting on behalf of Sierra Leonean refugees alleged that a national radio address of Guinean President Lasana Conté directing Guinean authorities to arrest, search and confine Sierra Leonean refugees to refugee camps incited soldiers and civilians to engage in attacks that violated provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ …Read more

Changes in French domestic law required foreign nationals to have lawfully resided in France for three continuous months and to satisfy an economic means test in order to qualify for benefits under the country’s universal medical coverage (CMU) program. The benefits for lawful nationals included health insurance with a potential to receive supplemental insurance. Conversely, …Read more

Parents of daughter with disabilities brought action for legal protection against the Armed Forces of Argentina, as a State organ, for failing to ensure comprehensive coverage of the needed treatment for their daughter.  The appeals court reversed the trial court’s decision that granted Petitioners legal protection.  The appeals court found that a) Petitioners did not …Read more

Mrs. Torres Puerta (the “Patient”) was affiliated with E.P.S. Coomeva, a Health Providing Entity. (Note: in Colombia, Health Providing Entities are in charge of providing healthcare services to employees, who must subscribe to one of such entities and pay a monthly fee which their employer deducts from their salary). In 2002, The Patient received authorization …Read more

Mr. Rodrigo Alberto Valencia Echeverri brought a Constitutional Action against Cafesalud EPS (“EPS”), a Health Promoting Entity, arguing that his fundamental rights to health and social security had been violated. The plaintiff affirmed that EPS would not administer a medicine called “gadolinium contrast dye”, which was required to conduct a “brain magnetic resonance” exam. This …Read more

O.M. is a Mexican woman who left her newborn son in a garbage can in the municipal headquarters of Santa Clara del Cobre after having given labor in the public restrooms. The woman placed toilet paper on the newborn child’s mouth cavity and nostrils to prevent others from hearing the newborn child cry, cut his …Read more

The Petitioner, Seenath Beevi, was the head nurse at a government hospital in Kerala. She worked 14 hours a day, six days a week because shift duties were not available at the hospital. The government had introduced a “3 shift system” in some hospitals with the aim of limiting working hours to 8 hours per …Read more

Petitioner had health coverage under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).  On January 4, 2000, the petitioner learned that he had blocked arteries and was advised to go to Yashoda hospital, which was a recognized referral hospital under the CGHS. At Yashoda hospital he was instructed to have bypass surgery. After consulting with many doctors, …Read more

A group of NGOs lodged a petition with the Commission alleging that Peru violated Maria Mamérita Mestanza Chávez’s rights on account of a forced sterilization that resulted in her death. Peru implemented a family planning policy involving compulsory and systematic sterilization in order to modify the reproductive behavior of the population. Poor, indigenous, and rural …Read more

This case was brought by the Public Advocate of Victoria as limited guardian of BWV, a woman aged 68 years, suffering from a fatal form of dementia (most likely Pick’s disease). At the time of bringing the case, BWV had not appeared conscious, nor had she had any cortical activity for approximately three years. Evidence …Read more

The Democratic Republic of Congo initiated proceedings before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, alleging that the respondent countries (Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda) committed various human rights violations. The Democratic Republic of Congo alleged that the respondent countries committed multiple massacres against people of the Democratic Republic of Congo including attacking Inga hydroelectric …Read more

The applicant ombudsman, representing N.N., brought an action against the President and General Auditor of the Supreme Court of Military Justice, and against the General Manager and Manager of Health of Military Social Security Corporation (COSSMIL). The applicant alleged that by denying N.N. a right to medical treatment, his right to health, life and social …Read more

After being violently captured during an attempted escape from prison, Carlos Orlando and Rubén Suárez Saavedra, the sons of the plaintiff, were in need of medical treatment. Carlos Orlando was suffering from appendicitis, an inflamed gallbladder, and a broken rib while Rubén had AIDS and was experiencing pulmonary tuberculosis, immunodeficiency, symptoms of depression, and a …Read more

The 939/00 Obligatory Medical Program provided medication to persons suffering from multiple sclerosis and isolated demyelinating syndrome, a precondition of multiple sclerosis. The National Ministry of Health passed a resolution to amend this program. The resolution had the effect of excluding from the program all isolated demyelinating syndrome sufferers and any multiple sclerosis sufferers who had …Read more

Parents brought a case against Swiss Medical Groups, S.A., on behalf of their infant child suffering from a condition which required urgent treatment. Petitioners requested extraordinary remedies from the Court, asking the Court to order Swiss Medical Groups, S.A., to provide the necessary and urgent medical treatment to their child. Petitioners claimed that by not …Read more

Mr. XX filed a tutela action (appeal for legal protection) against the Ministry of National Defence-School of Cadets for expelling him after discovering that he was HIV-positive during a blood donation. The discharge occurred two months before the petitioner was to be promoted to Second Lieutenant. The petitioner had passed all health exams and was found …Read more

Petitioners challenged the constitutionality of Article 9 of Costa Rica’s tobacco regulation act, which provided for a partial ban on cigar and cigarette advertisement. In their submission, petitioners claimed the constitutional standard to safeguard the right to health, to life and to a clean environment could not be appropriately fulfilled by such a partial ban, …Read more

The Court of Hungary received several petitions regarding the right of patients suffering from terminal illnesses to end their lives with dignity and consolidated the petitions into a single judgment. One petition asked the Court to declare unconstitutional and annul the last sentence in Section 43, paragraph (2) of Act II of 1972 on Healthcare. …Read more

Applicants, family members of an individual addicted to heroin who died in prison, alleged that the State violated Articles 3 (freedom from torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) and 13 (right to effective remedy) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) because the prisoner, Ms. …Read more

The League of Housewives, Consumers and Users of Argentina [Liga de Amas de Casa, Consumidores y Usuarios de la República Argentina] requested that judiciary declare that articles 5 and 7 of Act 418 and its amendment 439 of the City of Buenos Aires were contrary to the National Constitution. The Plaintiff alleged that under the …Read more

Residents of Ilo, Peru and representatives of deceased Ilo residents brought personal injury claims under the Alien Tort Claims Act (“ATCA”) against Southern Peru Copper Corporation (“SPCC”). SPCC was majority-owned by Asarco, a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Peru. Asarco was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grupo Mexico, S.A. de C.V., a …Read more

The plaintiff filed a guarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) against the Health Insurance of the Province of Buenos Aires (IOMA), the Province of Buenos Aires, and the National State to provide her HIV/AIDS medication, arguing that her right to health was violated. The plaintiff claimed that she complied with all the requirements …Read more