President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today ratified the Public Health Bill, which was passed by the People’s Majlis on the 26th sitting of its third session. Following ratification, the bill has been published in the Government Gazette.
The objectives of the Public Health Act include:
• Protect and promote public health
• Control the risk to public health
• Promote the control of infectious diseases
• Prevent the spread of infectious diseases
• Recognise the role of island councils, atoll councils and city councils in protecting public health
The Public Health Act provides for development of mandatory reporting provisions for communicable diseases to ensure that necessary information is collected for public health interventions and monitoring the health of the public. The Act also provides policies to define non-communicable diseases by providing for preventive interventions.
