Okwanda v. Minister of Health and Medical Services, et al.
Country: KenyaYear: 2013
Court: High Court - Nairobi
Citation: Petition No. 94 of 2012
Health Topics: Aging, Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Medicines, Poverty
Human Rights: Right to health, Right to housing, Right to social security, Right to water and sanitation
Petitioner, an elderly retired person, was diagnosed with diabetes and Benign Hypertrophy (a life-threatening terminal disease). Petitioner claimed that that the cost of the medication was prohibitive and that he was in need of urgent medical attention. Petitioner sought assistance of the court to enforce his fundamental rights to the highest attainable standard of health …Read more
P. and S. v. Poland
Country: PolandYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 57375/08
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to family life, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to privacy
The Applicants were a Polish girl who was raped at the age of 14, resulting in pregnancy, and her mother. The applicants alleged that, when they sought an abortion, which is legal under Polish law for pregnancy resulting from rape, hospital staff attempted to dissuade the girl from having an abortion. At one hospital, she …Read more
Salakhov and Islyamova v. Ukraine
Country: UkraineYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 28005/08
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Hospitals, Medical malpractice, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to life
The first applicant is Mr. Linar Irekovich Salakhov, who alleged that he had not received prompt and adequate medical care while in detention. Following his death, his mother Ms. Aliya Fazylovna Islyamova pursued the application on his behalf and joined her own complaints to the case. In 2005, Salakhov first tested positive for HIV, though …Read more
Senturk v. Turkey
Country: TurkeyYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 13423/09
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to life
The first applicant’s wife and second applicant’s mother, Menekse Senturk, was 34 weeks pregnant when she began experiencing pain. The first applicant took Mrs. Senturk to the Karsiyaka Public Hospital, the Izmir Public Hospital, the Ataturk Research and Teaching Hospital, and the Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital over the course of the day. Only at …Read more
T., J. C. v. Ministerio de Salud
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2013
Court: Supreme Court of Justice [Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina]
Citation: C. 881. XLVIII.
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Medicines
Human Rights: Right to health, Right to life
The plaintiff filed a precautionary measure with First Instance Family Court of La Matanza [Juzgado de Familia N° 7 de La Matanza] against the Ministry of Health of the province of Buenos Aires for it to provide health care and radiation treatment for her disease. The provincial court held that it lacked competence to solve …Read more
Voluntary Health Association of Punjab v. Union of India
Country: IndiaYear: 2013
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 349 of 2006
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
The order is about the problem of sex-selective abortion in India. The Court assed the present situation and the various barriers that must be taken into account when States take steps to address this problem by raising awareness of the legal status of the issue. The Parliament has taken steps to prevent sex selective abortion …Read more
Case of Hristozov v. Bulgaria
Country: BulgariaYear: 2012
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Applications nos. 47039/11 and 358/12
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Medicines
Human Rights: Right to family life, Right to health, Right to life, Right to privacy
The applicants were all terminally ill cancer patients (four of them died since the filing of the application). They were unsuccessful in trying to find a cure and tried many conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Thereafter they approached a private clinic in Sofia and found out that an anti-cancer experimental product …Read more
Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) v. Attorney General
Country: UgandaYear: 2012
Court: Constitutional Court
Citation: Constitutional Petition No. 16 of 2011
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Hospitals, Medical malpractice, Medicines, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to life
The petitioners claimed that the lack of provision of basic health maternal commodities in Government Health Facilities and the negligent, unethical behavior of health workers toward expectant mothers in those facilities resulted in violations of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (the “Constitution”). Specifically, the petitioners claimed violations of the right to health and …Read more
Dudley Lee v. Minister for Correctional Services
Country: South AfricaYear: 2012
Court: Constitutional Court
Citation: [2012] ZACC 30
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
While incarcerated in congested prison with poor hygienic conditions, Dudley Lee was infected with tuberculosis (TB). The responsible prison authorities were aware of the risk of the inmates’ contracting TB, but did not have a comprehensive system in place to reduce the risk of infection. Rather, the prison authorities relied on a system of inmates …Read more
Epners-Gefners v. Latvia
Country: LatviaYear: 2012
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application no. 37862/02
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to family life
The applicant was arrested as he was suspected of committing aggravated robbery and thereafter convicted and sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment. The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the first instance court. The Senate of the Supreme Court further dismissed the appeal of the applicant. The Jelgava Court ordered his …Read more