Cultural and social norms, together with limited awareness among health professionals about the specific healthcare needs of LGBTI persons, create barriers in LGBTI persons access to healthcare and contribute to marginalisation. To promote greater inclusion and equality for LGBTI persons in healthcare, a new  Guide for the health sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Equal access of LGBTI people to healthcare is prepared to enhance knowledge and understanding of healthcare professionals on providing inclusive and accessible services for LGBTI persons, and to prevent stigma, misinformation and prejudice on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

Drawing on the European human rights standards, including the Committee of Ministers new Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)7 on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons and ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation N°17 on preventing and combating intolerance and discrimination against LGBTI persons, the Guide encourages health institutions and professionals to undertake affirmative and sensitive approaches in their day-to-day practices when addressing specific needs of LGBTI persons, particularly trans and intersex persons, and in the field of mental healthcare.

The Guide builds on the Council of Europe’s national thematic review process of Recommendation CM/Rec (2010)5 on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and on the recommendations stemming from that review, especially the need for systematic training of healthcare professionals. The Guide aims to support the institutional efforts under the Action Plan to Improve the State of Human Rights and Freedoms of LGBTI People in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will provide a framework for future capacity building activities towards health professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This Guide is developed as part of the Council of Europe project “Promoting human rights and equality for LGBTI persons-IV” implemented by the SOGIESC Unit, and as part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, through the action “Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina,” and the Council of Europe project “Combatting discrimination, hatred and racism in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which was implemented under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.

• Read and download in ENG: A guide for the health sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Equal access of LGBTI people to healthcare
• in Bosnian: Smjernice o postupanju po zahtjevima za azil LGBTI osoba u Bosni i Hercegovini i regionu (BSC only)
• in Serbian: Водич за здрвствени сектор у Босни и Херцеговини: Равноправан приступ ЛГБТИ особа здравственоj заштити