Borreliosis is a disease caused by infection by bacteria named Borrelia. All known forms of borreliosis are zoonotic and transmitted to humans through exposure to vector organisms. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Lyme borreliosis as a multi-region 'disease of consequence' for decades. Nevertheless, across the globe, State response to one of the most prevalent and rapidly spreading infectious diseases of our time is the cause of unnecessary suffering. This poor healthcare response is not happening because better methods of diagnosis and treatment do not exist -in fact they do. It is happening because of corruption, conflicts of interest and unethical practices that are ignored or even promoted by State Actors, their agents and vested business interests. This report will show how conflicts of interest, market competition, State Actor collusion with private sector profiteers and other nonmedical and non-science-based dynamics are destroying the capacity to provide care for estimated millions living with Lyme and relapsing fever borreliosis infections and details how the current situation of these human rights defenders and this patient group shows violations of articles found in eleven international and/or regional human rights treatises and conventions. The results are many medical practitioners and scientists devoted to under-standing this illness and treating these patients are routinely defamed, their freedoms to associate and speak restricted, and they are threatened with the loss of their livelihoods. Every time a human rights defender for Lyme and relapsing fever borreliosis patients is attacked and removed, an estimated 10,000 or more borreliosis patients will lose access to proper diagnosis and medical care that meets internationally accepted standards. The 2018 Report 'The Situation of the Human Rights Defenders of Lyme and Relapsing Fever Borreliosis Patients' was submitted to Special Rapporteur Michel Forst and to Special Rapporteur Dr. Dainius Puras of the United Nations in March 2018. This resulted in the report being entered into UN record and a meeting between United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Forst and medical professionals, scientists, human rights experts and advocates on June 5, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland.
About the Author: Jenna Luché-Thayer, MIA, Founder and Director, Ad Hoc Committee for Health Equity in ICD11 Borreliosis Codes. Founder of the Global Network on Institutional Discrimination - Holding institutions accountable for political and scientific solutions. Luché-Thayer has 33 years of policy and grassroots experience in 42 countries and works across the globe to help institutions remedy entrenched practices of discrimination that interfere with their higher purpose. She is a former Senior Advisor to the US Government and the United Nations and is currently assisting institutions and communities to build a humane and rights based patient-centered response to the global borreliosis pandemic. Her expertise includes government transparency, accountability, human rights and political representation of marginalized groups. Luché-Thayer defined domestic violence as human rights abuse and initiated global human rights reporting on domestic violence, human trafficking and gender-based violence. She is currently documenting, analyzing and putting into UN record the human rights violations against persons suffering from Lyme and relapsing fever borreliosis and their human rights defenders. Luché-Thayer has worked with governments, the United Nations, nonprofits, corporate world and has over 75 publications. Her awards include: International Woman's Day Award for Exemplary Dedication and Contributions to Improving the Political and Legal Status of Women (US government), Highest Ranking Technical Area in Accomplishment, Innovation and Comparative Advantage for United Nations Capital Development Fund, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Power of Lyme Award 2018.