WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does the constitution explicitly guarantee citizens’ right to public health?

This map tells us whether nations include provisions to protect the right to public health for citizens in their constitution.

Only constitutional provisions are included in this map. Legislative protections are not shown here. Read more about why constitutions matter.

The right to public health includes language such as the “defense of public health,” “access to preventive services,” “illness prevention,” “creation of favorable conditions for good health,” etc. Each of these can be guaranteed in broad terms, such as the statement of a right to public health, and/or can be phrased more specifically, such as access to immunizations and health education.

No specific provision means that the constitution does not explicitly mention the right to public health. This does not mean that the constitution denies these protections, but that it does not explicitly include them.

Aspirational or subject to progressive realization means that the constitution protects the right to public health but does not use language strong enough to be considered a guarantee, or states that these rights will be implemented progressively or within a certain time period. For example, the nation will endeavor to provide the right to public health or will provide preventive health services within three years.

Some aspects guaranteed means that the constitutional explicitly guarantees aspects of the right to public health, such as access to immunization, but only mentions 1 or 2 areas and does not mention them within the context of protection of public health or disease prevention.

Guaranteed right means that the constitution explicitly guarantees the right to public health to citizens in authoritative language. Constitutions in this category either broadly guarantee the protection of public health or disease prevention, or enumerate 3 or more areas of health protection that typically constitute public health. For example, constitutions in this category might guarantee citizens’ right to preventive health care or make it the State’s responsibility to ensure the protection of population health and prevention of disease.

Countries

Albania - No specific provision

Andorra - No specific provision

Antigua and Barbuda - No specific provision

Argentina - No specific provision

Australia - No specific provision

Austria - No specific provision

Bahamas - No specific provision

Barbados - No specific provision

Belgium - No specific provision

Belize - No specific provision

Benin - No specific provision

Bhutan - No specific provision

Bosnia and Herzegovina - No specific provision

Botswana - No specific provision

Brunei - No specific provision

Bulgaria - No specific provision

Burkina Faso - No specific provision

Burundi - No specific provision

Cameroon - No specific provision

Canada - No specific provision

Central African Republic - No specific provision

Chad - No specific provision

China - No specific provision

Comoros - No specific provision

Costa Rica - No specific provision

Cote d'Ivoire - No specific provision

Croatia - No specific provision

Cyprus - No specific provision

Czech Republic - No specific provision

Denmark - No specific provision

Djibouti - No specific provision

Dominica - No specific provision

Egypt - No specific provision

Equatorial Guinea - No specific provision

Eritrea - No specific provision

Estonia - No specific provision

Ethiopia - No specific provision

Fiji - No specific provision

France - No specific provision

Gabon - No specific provision

The Gambia - No specific provision

Georgia - No specific provision

Germany - No specific provision

Ghana - No specific provision

Greece - No specific provision

Greenland - No specific provision

Grenada - No specific provision

Guyana - No specific provision

Iceland - No specific provision

Indonesia - No specific provision

Iran - No specific provision

Ireland - No specific provision

Israel - No specific provision

Italy - No specific provision

Jamaica - No specific provision

Jordan - No specific provision

Kazakhstan - No specific provision

Kenya - No specific provision

Kiribati - No specific provision

Republic of Korea - No specific provision

Kyrgyzstan - No specific provision

Latvia - No specific provision

Lebanon - No specific provision

Liberia - No specific provision

Libya - No specific provision

Liechtenstein - No specific provision

Luxembourg - No specific provision

North Macedonia - No specific provision

Madagascar - No specific provision

Malawi - No specific provision

Malaysia - No specific provision

Maldives - No specific provision

Mali - No specific provision

Malta - No specific provision

Marshall Islands - No specific provision

Mauritania - No specific provision

Mauritius - No specific provision

Micronesia, Federated States of - No specific provision

Moldova - No specific provision

Monaco - No specific provision

Mongolia - No specific provision

Montenegro - No specific provision

Morocco - No specific provision

Mozambique - No specific provision

Myanmar - No specific provision

Nauru - No specific provision

New Zealand - No specific provision

Niger - No specific provision

Nigeria - No specific provision

Norway - No specific provision

Pakistan - No specific provision

The Philippines - No specific provision

Rwanda - No specific provision

Samoa - No specific provision

San Marino - No specific provision

Senegal - No specific provision

Sierra Leone - No specific provision

Singapore - No specific provision

Slovakia - No specific provision

Slovenia - No specific provision

Solomon Islands - No specific provision

Somalia - No specific provision

South Africa - No specific provision

Sri Lanka - No specific provision

St. Kitts and Nevis - No specific provision

St. Lucia - No specific provision

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No specific provision

Eswatini - No specific provision

Switzerland - No specific provision

Tanzania - No specific provision

Timor-Leste - No specific provision

Togo - No specific provision

Tonga - No specific provision

Trinidad and Tobago - No specific provision

Türkiye - No specific provision

Turkmenistan - No specific provision

Tuvalu - No specific provision

Uganda - No specific provision

United Kingdom - No specific provision

United States of America - No specific provision

Uzbekistan - No specific provision

Vanuatu - No specific provision

Yemen - No specific provision

Zambia - No specific provision

Armenia - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Azerbaijan - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Bangladesh - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Brazil - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Cambodia - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Guinea-Bissau - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

India - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Japan - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Kuwait - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Laos - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Lesotho - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Namibia - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Nicaragua - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Oman - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Papua New Guinea - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Saudi Arabia - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Seychelles - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

South Sudan - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Sudan - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Sweden - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Uruguay - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Zimbabwe - Aspirational or subject to progressive realization

Algeria - Some aspects guaranteed

Angola - Some aspects guaranteed

Belarus - Some aspects guaranteed

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Some aspects guaranteed

Guinea - Some aspects guaranteed

Lithuania - Some aspects guaranteed

Nepal - Some aspects guaranteed

Poland - Some aspects guaranteed

Serbia - Some aspects guaranteed

Tajikistan - Some aspects guaranteed

Vietnam - Some aspects guaranteed

Afghanistan - Guaranteed right

Bahrain - Guaranteed right

Bolivia - Guaranteed right

Cabo Verde - Guaranteed right

Chile - Guaranteed right

Colombia - Guaranteed right

Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed right

Cuba - Guaranteed right

Dominican Republic - Guaranteed right

Ecuador - Guaranteed right

El Salvador - Guaranteed right

Finland - Guaranteed right

Guatemala - Guaranteed right

Haiti - Guaranteed right

Honduras - Guaranteed right

Hungary - Guaranteed right

Iraq - Guaranteed right

Mexico - Guaranteed right

The Netherlands - Guaranteed right

Palau - Guaranteed right

Panama - Guaranteed right

Paraguay - Guaranteed right

Peru - Guaranteed right

Portugal - Guaranteed right

Qatar - Guaranteed right

Romania - Guaranteed right

Russian Federation - Guaranteed right

Sao Tome and Principe - Guaranteed right

Spain - Guaranteed right

Suriname - Guaranteed right

Syria - Guaranteed right

Thailand - Guaranteed right

Tunisia - Guaranteed right

Ukraine - Guaranteed right

United Arab Emirates - Guaranteed right

Venezuela - Guaranteed right