Healthcare is not only about diagnosing illnesses and providing medical treatment. It is also about respecting people's dignity, protecting their autonomy, ensuring their right to make informed decisions and safeguarding their privacy. Every interaction between a healthcare professional and a patient is an opportunity to put these principles into practice.
Yet, translating human rights standards into everyday healthcare practice requires more than legislation. It calls for a shared understanding among healthcare professionals of what these rights mean and how they should guide professional ethics and relationships with patients.
From international standards to everyday practice
Following Armenia's ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) on 15 October 2025, ensuring that its principles are understood and effectively implemented has become an important part of strengthening human rights protection in healthcare.
The Convention establishes fundamental safeguards for individuals in the context of healthcare, including respect for human dignity, informed consent, the right to privacy and protection of personal health information.
But what do these guarantees mean in practice? How can healthcare professionals ensure that patients are genuinely involved in decisions concerning their health? How can trust and mutual understanding be strengthened in doctor-patient relationships?
These questions were at the centre of a two-day training session on human rights-based approaches to healthcare, organised by the Council of Europe in Gyumri on 31 October and 1 November 2026 for public health professionals from Armenian Public Health Association.
The patient at the centre of healthcare
Bringing together European and national standards, the training explored some of the fundamental rights and responsibilities that shape the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients.
Participants discussed informed consent and its application in medical practice, the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Oviedo Convention, ethical rules for healthcare professionals, and the importance of medical confidentiality and the protection of patients' personal information.
Particular attention was also given to the role of negotiations in healthcare and doctor-patient relationships, highlighting the importance of communication, mutual understanding and patient participation in decisions concerning their health.
Through expert-led discussions and exchanges, the training aims to strengthen participants' knowledge and practical skills, helping them translate human rights principles into their everyday professional activities.
Building a healthcare system based on dignity, trust and respect
A human rights-based approach to healthcare goes beyond the provision of medical services. It requires healthcare systems and professionals to recognise every individual as a rights-holder, whose dignity, autonomy and personal choices must be respected.
The Council of Europe's work in this area is guided by European standards, particularly the Oviedo Convention, and builds on its broader efforts to strengthen patient-centred healthcare and promote public dialogue on health-related issues.
By supporting healthcare professionals in understanding and applying these standards, the Council of Europe contributes to the development of a healthcare system in Armenia where human rights are not merely legal guarantees, but an integral part of everyday medical practice.
The event was organised by the Council of Europe as part of its Project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine III”, implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.
