Eight‑year‑old Argentine girl battles bureaucracy for growth‑hormone therapy

Emma Costas, an eight‑year‑old from La Plata, Argentina, was diagnosed in October 2024 with a severe growth‑hormone deficiency – the same condition Lionel Messi had as a child. She requires daily injections six days a week, using up to six pens each month, at a cost of around seven million Argentine pesos.

Emma’s mother, Daiana Costas, is a single parent who lost her job with the Buenos Aires police and consequently lost health coverage. The family has been unable to obtain the medication because IOMA has not provided approval and ANSES has not issued a negative decision, leaving the treatment inaccessible. Financial pressures have forced the Costas family to sell a car and struggle to pay rent.

A court ordered the provisional reinstatement of Daiana’s employment and restoration of medical benefits, recognizing Emma’s condition as a long‑term disease requiring uninterrupted coverage. The case highlights the challenges of accessing expensive medical treatments within Argentina’s public health system.