Using laws to improve health

WHO supports countries in strengthening legal frameworks to advance universal health coverage (UHC) and achieve health in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on laws for health systems, communicable diseases and outbreaks, noncommunicable diseases and health through the life-course, emergencies and disasters, and rights and social determinants of health.

WHO promotes a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach by working with a wide range of stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators, parliamentarians, health providers, private sector actors, communities and development partners. WHO engages these stakeholders through the various stages of the legal reform process, including problem identification and research, drafting, advocacy, implementation and enforcement, and monitoring and evaluation.

WHO works to improve access to legal research and evidence, develop legal tools and resource materials, build capacities, mobilize legal expertise, and provide direct technical assistance to countries in the development, implementation and evaluation of legal frameworks for health.