Overview

• The Défenseure des droits report, released May 5–6, 2025, documents systemic discrimination in healthcare access and delivery across France.
• Discriminatory practices include pain minimization, care refusals, and non-consensual medical acts, particularly affecting women, migrants, and people with disabilities.
• Racist stereotypes, such as the 'Mediterranean syndrome,' result in the underestimation of pain for North African and Black patients, sometimes with fatal consequences.
• Economically vulnerable individuals and those with disabilities face barriers like inaccessible facilities, administrative hurdles, and stigmatizing treatment.
• The report calls for a national prevention strategy, emphasizing professional training, improved complaint mechanisms, and inclusive healthcare adaptations.