About HUMAN:
Human Network For Health and Humanitarian Affairs
Human Network for Health and Humanitarian Affairs is an independent non-profit
network, working with a specific strategy to promote health and humanitarian affairs in
the Iraq. The Human Network for Health and Human Services defines health as follows:
Health means complete physical, mental and social health and does not simply mean
the absence of disease.
Human Network Goal
Objective: Human Network seeks to develop the concepts of human rights in health and
return human beings to the focus of the health system, policy and services in the
Kurdistan Region. For this area, Human Network implements the following activities:
A. Articulate a solid health policy to develop human rights concepts within health
agencies.
B. Raising awareness of patients and citizens about their health rights
C. Investigate abuses and injustices committed against patients and citizens inside and
outside private and public health institutions.
D. Drafting, enriching, amending, and monitoring legislation on the health rights of
citizens and patients.
E. Assist and encourage the creation and activation of patient and citizen health rights
organizations and groups.
F. Assist and enable the role of the media and civil society organizations in demanding
and monitoring the health rights of patients and citizens.
G. Conduct scientific researchs on the obstacles to citizen-centeredness in the health
system and effective means of achieving this goal.
Access to Health Services



Current Situation
The people of Iraq face significant discrimination in accessing essential health services
based on their income, ethnicity, gender, and location. There is a marked disparity
between the healthcare access for patients in urban centers like Baghdad compared to
those in rural areas such as Anbar or Basra. The expansion of private health services
without an insurance scheme exacerbates the situation, making healthcare a leading
cause of impoverishment in Iraq. The 'semi-private' policy forces individuals to pay
private-market prices for services in public facilities.
Cancer patients often experience months-long delays in receiving chemotherapy, while
AIDS patients face discrimination and lack access to essential medicines. Haemophilia
patients struggle due to a shortage of blood components and necessary equipment for
blood transfusions. The prevalence of cancer, particularly breast cancer, is increasing
due to the lack of essential diagnostic equipment like mammograms. Furthermore,
human trafficking, including the sale of organs such as kidneys, is a pressing issue.
Recommendations
1. Iraq must fulfill the right to health as stipulated in the 2005 constitution, ensuring
access to healthcare for every Iraqi regardless of gender, ethnicity, or ability to
pay.
2. Increase the government budget for health services.
3. Introduce a social health insurance scheme.
4. Implement taxation on sugar, tobacco, and alcohol to fund healthcare services.
Public Health
Current Situation
Iraq faces recurrent epidemics of cholera, cutaneous leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, and
other poverty-related diseases, exacerbated by conflict, climate change, and
displacement. Inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, particularly water and
sanitation, contributes significantly to these outbreaks. Contaminated drinking water,
especially in the Kurdistan region, frequently causes cholera outbreaks. Alongside
COVID-19, Iraq regularly contends with outbreaks of other communicable diseases
such as viral meningitis and hemorrhagic fever. Extreme weather conditions, including
heat waves and sandstorms, lead to increased hospital admissions.


Pilgrims to Hajj often lack proper health screening before their journey, resulting in
preventable deaths and disabilities. Primary healthcare is underfunded, with most
resources directed towards hospitals and tertiary care.
Recommendations
5. Adopt a 'Health in All Policies' framework.
6. Introduce a Basic Health Services Package at primary healthcare levels.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Current Situation
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains prevalent, particularly in the Kurdistan region.
Gender-based violence is not limited to homes but extends to public hospitals, where
pregnant women are often mistreated. This abuse drives women to seek costly private
healthcare. The rate of caesarean sections is increasing, driven by private sector
incentives and cultural preferences for specific birth dates. Access to abortion services
is severely restricted, forcing women to undergo unsafe, clandestine procedures. Birth
control tools are not routinely available in Iraq, and sexual health and awareness remain
taboo topics. Healthcare providers often fail to provide basic health information related
to sexual and reproductive health.
Recommendations
7. International organizations should monitor and report abuses against women in
healthcare settings.
8. Eradicate FGM in Iraq.
9. Integrate abortion services into the essential health services package at primary
healthcare centers.
10. Ensure the availability of birth control tools and enhance sexual health education
and awareness.
Governance
Current Situation
The Iraqi health system is heavily influenced by political parties, which appoint key
health officials based on political, tribal, and nepotistic connections rather than merit.
Corruption is rampant, with political appointees protected by their patrons. This issue

led to the resignation of a prominent Minister of Health, Dr. Ala Alwan, just before the
COVID-19 pandemic. Despite women constituting 70% of health service beneficiaries,
they occupy less than 3% of health policy positions. There are concerns about the
misuse of WHO's Iraq office for political purposes.
Recommendations
11. Collaborate with international organizations like WHO to enhance health
governance and combat corruption.
12. Introduce quotas for women in leadership positions within the health sector.
Medicines
Current Situation
Iraq is plagued by the smuggling of drugs and medicines, particularly through border
points in the Kurdistan region. The country is inundated with counterfeit, smuggled, and
substandard medicines, contributing to antimicrobial resistance. Expired medicines are
improperly disposed of, polluting the environment. Iraq's vaccination rates are low due
to misinformation, particularly stemming from COVID-19 vaccine rumors, and vaccines
are often smuggled to neighboring countries.
Recommendations
13. Collaborate with international partners to curb the smuggling and import of
counterfeit medicines, especially cancer treatments and antibiotics.
14. Enhance vaccination campaigns and counteract health sector disinformation.
Infrastructure
Current Situation
Iraq's health infrastructure is deteriorating, notably in the Kurdistan region, with many
hospitals remaining unfinished. Projects funded by corporate social responsibility
initiatives, like the Kurdistan Children’s Hospital in Erbil, are taken over by private
entities linked to politicians. Recently, the Minister of Health in the Kurdistan region
allocated a public hospital to a private company affiliated with the region's prime
minister. Finished hospitals often do not meet safety standards, resulting in tragic
incidents like fires.

 

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