According to Article 37 of Latvia's Declaration on the Accession to Human Rights Instruments, everyone has the responsibility to care for their own health and that of their family and society, while it is the State's responsibility to protect the health of the public and guarantees each person with the minimum level of medical assistance determined by the law. With this in mind, we can broadly classify "health" into two categories, one being an individual's personal health which is affected by one's diet and habits, and medical care services as provided to the public by the State or private establishments.

The argument of whose responsibility it is when it comes to health is an age-old one. On the one hand, health is a basic human need and thus it should be one's responsibility to take charge over his or her personal state of well-being. On the other hand, health...