Law for health in the Western Pacific

Legal frameworks – legislation and other instruments of law, as well as the mechanisms and institutions necessary to implement them – are essential to advancing universal health coverage (UHC) and achieving health throughout the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Legal frameworks organize and manage health systems, allocate responsibilities, set standards, authorize and constrain action, shape markets, alert people to particular health risks, and influence social norms about behaviour. Law for health extends beyond the health sector, such as trade and industry, finance, education, agriculture, road and transport, and environment. However, countries often struggle to effectively design, implement and evaluate legal frameworks due to lack of evidence, policy coherence, consistent enforcement, and monitoring mechanisms. Strengthening legal frameworks requires engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators, parliamentarians, health providers, private sector actors, communities, and development partners.