Discrimination in Ensuring the Nation’s Public Health

Abstract. The author in article analyzes the legal nature discrimination in the public health sector by defining its essence and identifying the categories of individuals belonging to discriminated groups within the healthcare system. The article examines issues the discrimination in national healthcare, particularly institutional and structural discrimination. It is noted that institutional discrimination is typically manifested in the restricted access of certain groups to state healthcare policies through discriminatory regulations or indirect limitations. An example of this is an order issued by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which grants the right to use assisted reproductive technologies exclusively to married couples, thereby placing individuals in civil marriages at a disadvantage. Structural discrimination encompasses the stigmatization certain groups, such as the elderly, children, and women, which results in unequal access to medical services due to gender, age, and ethnic barriers. In analyzing the impact of discrimination in healthcare services, the article highlights issues such as ageism, gender discrimination, and racial inequality, all of which negatively affect the accessibility and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations. The article further emphasizes that gender discrimination significantly impacts access to healthcare services, treatment quality, and women’s overall health. This often manifests in inadequate attention to women’s health issues and structural barriers that limit their ability to receive necessary medical care. Additionally, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for women, who have been disproportionately affected in the healthcare sector, are discussed. It is also noted that national and racial minorities face a significant issue of distrust toward both medical personnel and the healthcare system as a whole. Medical distrust is conceptualized as a broad term encompassing both a general lack of confidence in medical institutions and skepticism specific to certain diseases or medical contexts. This phenomenon is particularly critical, as it weakens the patient-doctor relationship, ultimately undermining the principle of parity in healthcare interactions. Keywords: discrimination, legal regulation, public health, medical law, national minorities, age discrimination, racial stigmatization, patient distrust in medicine.