Access to health care and personal freedom.

The principal international texts regarding protection of human rights make reference to the right to access health care. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges the right for every person to have access to medical care. Furthermore, Article 12 of the International Coven ant on Economic and Social Rights commends that the various states make a c ommitment to provide medical care and help in case of disease. In addition to these international laws, Article 13 of the European Social Charter, sig ned in 1961 and entered into force in 1965, acknowledges the right to socia l and medical care. Unfortunately, this right is not vigorously sanctionned . International as well as local controls primarily prompt or recommend the various states to implement health policies allowing true enforcement of t his right. What are the possible means to obtain access to medical care, an d what are the issues regarding the existence of 'adverse diseases' in occi dental democraties? Where implemented, access to medical care should also, in accord with human rights, have as a consequence, respect for personal fr eedom, i.e., confidentiality, informed consent, and human dignity. Current economical health policies lead to implementation of programs bringing medi cal care to information systems in either private or public structures. The transmission of indirectly nominal medical data may endanger the patient's privacy. These economical health policies also emphasize not only medical care requirements and limits but also a potential and much too rapid renunc iation of health care.