Health Legislation

The National Public Health Act revises and consolidates the law relating to public health to prevent disease, promote, safeguard, maintain and protect the health of humans and animals and to provide for related matters.

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).

The Data Protection Act of 2012 establishes a Data Protection Commission, to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data by regulating the processing of personal information, to provide the process to obtain, hold, use or disclose personal information and for related matters.

The Health Institutions and Facilities Act of 2011 provides for a Health Facilities Regulatory Agency to license facilities for the provision of public and private health care services, establishes the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency to control and regulate facilities connected with the storage and disposal of human remains, establishes an Ambulance Council to regulate the operation of ambulance services in the country in accordance with policy standards and to provide for related matters.

The Law establishes a mandatory health insurance scheme for pensioners, employees and members of their families in Ethiopia.

This Proclamation regulates activities in respect of food, medicine, environmental health, health professionals, health and controllable health related institutions in the country.

The National Identity Register Act of 2008 provides for the capture of personal information by individuals by the National Identity Authority for the issue of national identity cards; for the protection of the personal information; for conditions of access, use, retention and disclosure of information and for related matters.

The National Accreditation Board Act of 2007 establishes the National Accreditation Board and provides for related purposes.

The Persons with Disability Act, 2006 is an act to provide for persons with disability, to establish a National Council on Persons with Disability and to provide for related matters.

The National Health Insurance Regulations of 2004 govern the registration, management, and oversight of health insurance schemes licensed under the Health Insurance Act of 2003, detailing requirements for licensing conditions, and fees. They mandate non-discrimination, set minimum benefit standards, and outline procedures for interim management and the accreditation of healthcare facilities.

These regulations establish the Health Professionals Council. The council has, among other things, the following attributions: advise the Minister; work in collaboration with the appropriate bodies, ensure that health professional training offered in the country is of high standard; make sure that professional ethics are observed by professionals; follow up and supervise that the names of registered professionals and those who are cancelled from the registry due to various reasons are properly kept by the secretariat.

The Proclamation regulates different aspects of Public Health such as food quality control and standards (Articles 8 and 9); water quality control (Article 10); occupational health (Article 11), waste handling and disposal (Article 12); availability of toilet facilities in health institutions (Article 13); control of bathing places and pools (Article 14); disposal of dead bodies (art.15); control at entrance and exit ports in Ethiopia making mandatory vaccines for people coming from outside (Article 16); and Communicable Diseases (art.17).

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.

The Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act of 1996 establishes the Ghana Health Service, provides for related matters including its functions and membership; provides for the administration and management of institutions in the Health Service including state-owned hospitals and health stations; continues the existence and operation of Teaching Hospitals and provides for matters related to the foregoing.

The Constitution was promulgated in 1995. It includes 106 articles addressing a large number of issues as the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the fundamental principles of the state and institutional arrangements.

The Pharmacy Act, 1994 is to revise the laws relating to pharmacy, to establish a Pharmacy Council, for the registration of pharmacies, the regulation and control of the practice of pharmacy, the distribution of pharmacies, the licensing of premises for pharmacies and to provide for related matters. This Act was repealed by the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), section 114.

The Civil Service Act establishes the continued existence of the Civil Service in Ghana as part of the Public Services of Ghana, as outlined in Article 190 of the Constitution. Its primary objective is to assist the Government in the formulation and implementation of policies for national development. The Act defines the functions of the Civil Service, including policy initiation, research, implementation, and evaluation, and establishes the Office of the Head of the Civil Service along with its various directorates and units to support its operations.

The Constitution of Ghana is the supreme law of the country (article 1.2). It was adopted in 1992 and revised in 1996. It provides for the sharing of powers among a president, a parliament, a cabinet, a Council of State, and an independent judiciary. It contains 299 articles.

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1956 provides for the registration of births, foetal deaths and deaths, and provides for burial grounds and for related matters.