E.L v. The Republic
Country: MalawiYear: 2016
Court: High Court of Malawi, Zomba District Registry
Citation: [2016] MWHC 656
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to due process/fair trial
The appellant was convicted and sentenced to nine months of imprisonment under Section 192 of the Malawian Penal Code. Section 192 made it an offence to negligently engage in an act, which was likely to spread a dangerous life-threatening disease. E.L (the appellant) was HIV positive undergoing Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART). It was alleged that …Read more
Kenya Legal and Ethical Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) & Others v. Cabinet Secretary-Ministry of Health & Others
Country: KenyaYear: 2016
Court: High Court of Kenya at Nairobi, Constitutional and Human Rights Division
Citation: Petition No. 250 of 2015 (2016)
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to privacy
President Kenyatta issued a directive to national government entities to prepare a report collecting data on all school-going children who were living with HIV and AIDS. Further the directive also mandated data on the guardians of such children, expectant mothers living with HIV and breastfeeding mothers who are HIV positive. The data was to be …Read more
Novruk and others v. Russia
Country: RussiaYear: 2016
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Applications nos. 31039/11, 48511/11, 76810/12, 14618/13 and 13817/14
Health Topics: Health information, HIV/AIDS
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of movement and residence, Right to family life
The first applicant-Novruk, a Moldovian national after his first marriage and divorce, married Ms. S, a Russian national. The applicant discovered that he was HIV positive. Ms. S had a daughter from previous marriage and also was a foster mother to nine orphaned children. Some of the children were HIV positive. The applicant applied for …Read more
Wenner v. Germany
Country: GermanyYear: 2016
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: no. 62303/13, § 59, ECHR 2016
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Public safety
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
The applicant has been a heroin addict since 1973, suffered from hepatitis C since 1975 and been HIV-positive since 1988. Attempts to overcome his heroin addiction through various treatments failed, and from 1991 to 2008 he was treated with drug substitution therapy. In 2008, the applicant was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and detained …Read more
Attorney General, et al. v. Dickson Tapela, et al.
Country: BotswanaYear: 2015
Court: Court of Appeal of the Republic of Botswana at Gaborone
Health Topics: Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to life
Case 1: Tapela and Piye, two Zimbabwean nationals imprisoned in Botswana, both contracted HIV in prison. They were refused antiretroviral treatment for their condition based on a internal directive issued by the national government to all public medical institutions and personnel on March 26, 2004, indicating that testing, assessment, and treatment with antiretroviral and highly active …Read more
Case of Angel Alberto Duque (Report on the merits)
Country: ColombiaYear: 2014
Court: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Report No. 5/14
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS, Medicines, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to health, Right to life, Right to social security
Duque and his same-sex partner lived together as a couple for over ten years, until his partner died from AIDS. Four years prior to the death, Duque was diagnosed with HIV and was being treated under support from his partner. When his partner died, Duque asked the COLFONDOS (the pension service) to ask what requirements …Read more
Centre For Legal Resources On Behalf of Valentin Câmpeanu v. Romania
Country: RomaniaYear: 2014
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: ECHR 222 (2014)
Health Topics: Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Hospitals, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Mental health
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to life
The application was lodged by Centre for Legal Resources (CLR) on behalf of Campeanu, who was born in 1985 and died in 2004. He was abandoned at birth and was diagnosed as being HIV positive and suffered from a mental disability. In 2003, Mr. Campeanu had to leave the centre. Two assessments of his health …Read more
Government of the Republic of Namibia v. LM et al.
Country: NamibiaYear: 2014
Court: Supreme Court of Namibia
Citation: [2014] NASC 19
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life
The respondents, three Namibian HIV positive pregnant women, were sterilized while undergoing emergency caesareans. The respondents each signed a consent form, which included consent to the caesarean operation and sterilization through bilateral tubal ligation (BLT) but claimed that they did not provide informed consent which is required for sterilization to be considered lawful. The first …Read more
Rhoades v. Iowa
Country: United StatesYear: 2014
Court: Supreme Court of Iowa
Citation: No. 12-0180
Health Topics: Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial
Rhoades was diagnosed with HIV in 1998 and began receiving treatment for the disease from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics every three to six months beginning in 2005. In 2008, Rhoades was informed that his viral load was non-detectible. Later that year, he met A.P. on a social networking cite that listed Rhoades …Read more
Tapela, et al. v. Attorney General, et al.
Country: BotswanaYear: 2014
Court: High Court
Citation: (MAHGB-000057-14), BWHC 1 (2014)
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to life
The applicants, two prisoners with HIV and an interested non-governmental organization, complain that the policy of denying Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (“HAART”) to non-citizen inmates is a violation of the rights of such non-citizen prisoners under the Constitution of Botswana. HAART is a drug treatment that helps control HIV mutation and reduces the likelihood of …Read more