Is there a right to health in Ghana? The case of Ghana’s 1992 constitution

Abstract

The nuances and ramifications of the right to health are sufficiently large and varied, just as are its rendition in constitutional and statutory provisions. It is sometimes difficult, at the legal level, to ascertain whether a legal right is intended by a provision or is a mere use of ‘rights language’. This ambiguity is visible in a number of provisions in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and legislation. However, there are few scholarly studies on the right to health in Ghana. This article seeks to explore the nuances of the concept of the ‘right to health’ in international human rights law to ascertain whether Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and legislation provide for the ‘right to health’. This paper further discusses some policy issues on health.