Health (Right to)

Primary tabs

K.H. and Others v. Slovakia, European Court of Human Rights, (Application no. 32881/04)

Eight women, all members of the Roma community in Slovakia, received gynaecological and obstetric treatment in eastern Slovakia. After this treatment, all eight women were unsuccessful in conceiving again. The women recalled being asked to sign documents prior to discharge from the hospital, but they were unable to identify the contents of the documents they signed.

A.S. v. Hungary, Communication No. 4/2004, CEDAW/C/36/D/4/2004

Upon going into labor, Ms. A.S., a member of the Roma community, needed an emergency Caesarian section. Immediately before the surgery, a doctor asked Ms. A.S. to sign consent forms on which the doctor had hand-written a statement that Ms. A.S. consented to a sterilization procedure. Ms. A.S. did not understand the statement or that she had been sterilized until after the operation took place. Her claim of civil rights violations and negligent sterilization was rejected at the local level. In her communication to the CEDAW Committee, it found that the Ms. A.S.

Naz Foundation v. Government of NCT of New Delhi and Others, WP(C) No. 7455/2001

The Naz Foundation India, a non-governmental organization committed to HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention, filed a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court challenging the constitutionality of Section 377 of the India Penal Code, which makes it illegal to engage in any "unnatural" sexual act, defined as sex other than heterosexual intercourse. The Delhi High Court dismissed the original writ of petition in 2004 for lack of a cause of action.

Decision T-760 of 2008

The Colombian Constitutional Court has among its functions the review of tutela actions. The Court annually reviews a small proportion of the more than 300,000 tutela actions resolved by lower judges; 36% of which are related to the right to health according to data of the Colombian Ombudsman's Office for 2005. Decision T-760 of 2008 accumulated 22 of these cases. However, the Court did not limit itself to reviewing and resolving these individual cases.

Informe Sumario sobre la Reunión Internacional de Estrategias sobre DESC

Human Right to Health Working Sessions-ISM Kenya

Minority Rights Group International

Country:

United Kingdom

Working Group(s) / Area(s) of Work:

Strategic Litigation

OP-ICESCR

Free Legal Assistance Group and Others v. Zaire, Comm. No. 25/89, 47/90, 56/91, 100/93

The claims brought by four NGOs against former Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) alleging a gross mismanagement of public finances by the government leading to degrading conditions, shortages of medicine, education and basic services. The government allegedly failed to provide these services impairing its people from obtaining adequate medical treatment and from accessing basic education.

López Ostra vs. Spain (Application no. 16798/90)

On May 14, 1990, Gregoria López Ostra filed a report before the European Commission on Human Rights against the Spanish State. She claimed that the State’s failure to take any measures against the smell, noise and contaminating smokes originated in a solid and liquid waste treatment plant located a few meters away from her home violated her rights to physical integrity (Article 3 of European Convention on Human Rights) and to respect for the home and private life (Article 8 of the Convention).

Soobramoney v. Minister of Health (Kwazulu-Natal)

The claimant, Thiagraj Soobramoney, suffered from chronic renal failure (among other diseases) and was in dire need of renal dialysis in order to stave off death. When he ran out of personal funds with which to pay private providers, he sought service in Addington Hospital, a state-funded hospital in Durban. The hospital refused Soobramoney treatment because his general physical condition did not qualify him for treatment under the criteria or guidelines used by the hospital to determine eligibility for such treatments.