Codification and implementation of the 'right to health' in the Arab world

Abstract

This chapter offers an analysis of the implementation of the 'Right to Health' in countries of the Arab World. We have mapped out the current status of individuals' health rights, from the State's perspective, through empirical analysis of the constitutional enactments of the 23 countries of the Arab world that address health and health care. We further examined other indices of national commitment to health and health care, such as the approach to identification of health as a right, the universality of each health system and the existing gaps (if any) between constitutions and service provision. As such, we merged the human rights framework for Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality ('AAAQ') with Public Health and Health system performance indicators.