Health Legislation

The Constitution was promulgated in 1993 and modified by the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution Act in 2022. It includes 166 articles addressing a large number of issues as the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the fundamental principles of the state and institutional arrangements (see more below).

This Act consolidates and amends the laws providing for the establishment of the South African Pharmacy Board and for the training and registration of pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, pharmacy students, unqualified assistants and pharmaceutical technicians; provides for the control of the practice of the pharmaceutical profession; and provides for matters incidental thereto.

This Act establishes the Health Professions Council of South Africa and professional boards; provides for control over the education, training and registration for and practising of health professions registered under this Act; and provides for matters incidental thereto.

The Act consolidates the laws relating to the registration of births and deaths in Lesotho. It makes compulsory the registration of the birth of a child, whether born alive or still-born, and of the death of any person dying after the commencement of the Act (section 3). The office of the Registrar General is the general register office for keeping the register of all births and deaths occurring in Lesotho (section 4).

These regulations have been adopted pursuant to two sections of the Public Health Order of 1970: article 16j referring to the enactment of regulations for the prevention of the spread of any communicable disease by persons who are "carriers" of the disease (...) and article 71m referring to regulations for requiring the medical examination of any person in any premises in which any milk or dairy produce or other article of food intended for sale is collected, kept sold (...).

The Order makes provision for citizenship of Lesotho, for the acquisition, deprivation and renunciation of citizenship, and for related and connected matters.

The Order provides rules regarding diseases subject to the international Health Regulation, the prevention and control of communicable diseases; sanitation and housing; and food and water protection among other aspects.

The order mandates the creation of a medical, Dental and Pharmacy Council; and regulates the keeping and sale of poisons and other related matters.

The General Health Regulations set out comprehensive guidelines and standards for public health and hygiene, including the control of communicable diseases, sanitation, food safety, and environmental health.

The Act provides for the registration and control of medicines and related substances for human and animal use, establishes the Medicines Control Council, and outlines its powers and responsibilities. It includes provisions for the licensing of manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers, as well as measures to ensure the availability of affordable medicines. The Act also addresses the regulation of medicine pricing, generic substitution, labeling, and procedures for appeals and re-evaluation of registered medicines.