Human Rights Violations of Lyme Patients
Human Rights Violations of Lyme Patients – the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the existence of Lyme Disease and has included it in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases). However, many doctors and medical professionals still deny the existence and severity of the disease, leading to suffering patients and their advocates falling victim to human rights violations. It is important to note that the 2006 IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) guidelines on Lyme disease have been criticized by patient groups and some medical practitioners for being too narrow, leading to under diagnosis and mistreatment of the disease. Jenna Luche-Thayer, a patient advocate, has claimed that these guidelines have led to 14 human rights violations, including some of which are listed below.
Human rights that are often violated by the dismissal of Lyme disease within the medical healthcare system:
- Right to highest attainable standard of health
- Right to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
- Right to life.
- Right to liberty and security of person.
- Right to privacy and confidentiality.
- Right to information.
- Right to bodily integrity.
- Right to participation in public policy.
- Right to no discrimination and equality.
- Right to decent working conditions.
- Right to freedom of association.
- Right to due process.
- Right to a remedy.
Lyme Disease ICD Codes
In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the existence of Lyme Disease by determining ICD11 (International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision) codes for it. This means that patients have the right to treatment, testing, and security as a patient, regardless of whether their country’s medical system recognizes the disease. The codes listed below can be provided to doctors to help them understand that Lyme Disease is real and can affect the person in front of them. It is important for patients to be informed about their rights and to advocate for themselves in seeking proper diagnosis and treatment for Lyme Disease.
ICD11 Codes:
- 1C1G Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.0 Early cutaneous Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.1 Disseminated Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.10 Lyme Neuroborreliosis
- 1C1G.11 Lyme carditis
- 1C1G.12 Ophthalmic Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.13 Lyme arthritis
- 1C1G.14 Late Cutaneous Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.1Y other specified disseminated Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1G.1Z Disseminated Lyme borreliosis, unspecified
- 1C1G.2 Congenital Lyme borreliosis
- 1C1GY Other Specified Lyme borreliosis
- 6D85.Y Dementia due to other specified diseases classified elsewhere; dementia due to Lyme disease
- 9C20.1 Infectious panuveitis; Infectious panuveitis in Lyme
- 9B66.1 Infectious intermediate Chorioditis; infectious intermediate uveitis in Lyme disease
- 8A45.0Y Other specified white matter disorders due to infections; Central Nervous System demyelination due to Lyme borreliosis