Health Care Law at Gabon
Gabon has developed a comprehensive healthcare legal framework aimed at ensuring equitable access to quality medical services for its population. Here's an overview of the key components: (The road to universal health coverage: a case study on Gabon | OMS | Escritório Regional para a África)
🇬🇦 Constitutional and Legal Foundations
The Constitution of Gabon, last revised in 2023, underscores the state's responsibility to protect public health. This constitutional mandate has been translated into specific laws and decrees governing healthcare delivery, health emergencies, and public health rights. Notably, the Health Code outlines protocols for risk assessment, surveillance, and resource management during health emergencies . (Constitution of Gabon, Pandemic Preparedness and Response Laws in Gabon: A Comprehensive Review)
🏥 National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Scheme (CNAMGS)
Established in 2007, the CNAMGS aims to provide universal health coverage, focusing initially on economically vulnerable populations. A significant funding mechanism for this scheme is a 10% levy on mobile phone revenues and usage, introduced in 2008, which has substantially increased enrollment and coverage . The scheme is operational through a network of over 80 hospitals, health centers, and pharmacies nationwide . (The Worldfolio: Gabon - Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Office, or CNAMGS, The road to universal health coverage: a case study on Gabon | OMS | Escritório Regional para a África)
📜 Regulatory Bodies and Licensing
The Ministry of Health oversees the healthcare system, formulating policies and enforcing regulations. The Directorate of Medicine and Pharmacy regulates the pharmaceutical sector, including licensing, inspections, and market authorization for drugs and medical devices . (Overview of the Healthcare System in Gabon, Gabon | AUDA-NEPAD- AMRH)
⚕️ Public Health Laws and Emergency Preparedness
Gabon has enacted laws to manage health emergencies, such as the Law on the Prevention and Control of Epidemics, which allows for resource mobilization, quarantine measures, and vaccination programs during health crises . (Pandemic Preparedness and Response Laws in Gabon: A Comprehensive Review)
🚭 Tobacco Control
In 2016, Gabon implemented Decree No. 0286, regulating tobacco industry participation in advertising, promotion, and sponsorship activities, thereby reducing industry interference in health policy . (Health Policy Decree - Gabon - Law | Tobacco Control Laws)
🧾 Access to Health Services
The government has initiated programs to issue birth certificates and health cards to previously stateless children, enabling them to access CNAMGS services and other child protection programs . (Official Distribution of Birth Certificates and Health Cards for Gabon's National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Office (CNAMGS))
⚖️ Reproductive Health
In 2023, Gabon amended its penal code to permit abortion under specific circumstances, such as risk to the woman's health, fetal abnormalities, or cases of rape or incest, reflecting a shift towards broader reproductive rights . (Abortion in Gabon)
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