“Armed” system reflects information on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity
In recent years, a unified electronic information system in the field of healthcare has been launched in the Republic of Armenia, which reflects the entire history of the patient’s health condition and medical information. It becomes available to the relevant medical professional with the consent of the patient or in other cases provided by law.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the list of diseases with the ICD-11 update, which removes a number of diagnoses that were previously considered diseases, but the domestic legislation of the Republic of Armenia is not adapted to those international standards. In particular, the terms “homosexualism” and “transsexualism” continue to be considered a mental disorder by the domestic legislation of the Republic of Armenia. If a person is given the above-mentioned diagnosis according to domestic procedures, it is also reflected in the “ARMED” e-health system.
On June 1, 2022, New Generation Humanitarian NGO (NGNGO) applied to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia in written requesting to instruct not to make information about the sexual orientation and gender identity of individuals available in the e-health system.
On June 10, 2022, the Ministry of Health responded with a letter stating that by the order of the Minister of Health, as a guarantee to avoid violations and abuses, the regulations on access to the patient’s diagnosis are exhaustively defined.
New Generation Humanitarian NGO is convinced that this is a serious human rights violation which:
- reveals the person’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
- facilitates the manifestation of stigma and discrimination against GBTI people in medical institutions.
- violates the right to protection of personal data, privacy and family life.