Health Legislation

The purpose of this Law is to establish mechanisms for the protection and promotion of health, the prevention and control of diseases, as well as threats and risks to public health.

This law, taken in application of the provisions of article 47 of the Constitution, establishes the modalities of medical care for the mentally ill and protection of their rights in the Gabonese Republic.

The Mental Health Act of 2012 provides for mental health care and for related matters. Among other things, it establishes a Mental Health Authority (sections 1 to 23), enshrines a set of rights for persons with mental disorder (sections 54 to 63), and establishes a mental health fund (sections 80 to 87).

This act has the aim to consolidate and reform the laws relating to the protection and welfare of children and to provide for incidental matters. The Act covers aspects such as the rights of a child and the responsibilities of its parents; the child in need of care and protection; the offences to health and welfare of children; the conditions to take a child into care and for adoption; trafficking of children; child rehabilitation and conflict with criminal law; police powers and duties regarding children and legislation regarding minor’s criminal law.

The Act provides for the care, protection and management of persons with mental disorders and provides for their voluntary or involuntary admission in mental health care facility and other related matters.

These guidelines provide the required standards on the establishment, registration, management and supervision of early childhood development (ECD) services. These are to ensure the effective implementation of ECD programmes.

This Act sets out the rights and responsibilities of children, consolidates the laws relating to children, provides for the care, protection and maintenance of children, establishes a Children’s Court, provides for a criminal justice system for children and other connected purposes.

This Ministerial Order establishes a national mental health program. The mission of the national mental health program is to promote mental health at all levels of the national health system.

This Act provides a legal framework for the care, treatment, and protection of individuals with mental health disorders, establishes guidelines for the admission, detention, and rights of patients in mental health facilities, etc.

The Children's Act of 1998 reforms and consolidates the law relating to children, provides for the rights of the child, maintenance and adoption, regulates child labour and apprenticeship, for ancillary matters concerning children generally and provides for related matters.