Toward a healthier Iraq

Health care in Iraq is the sector most influenced by variables such as political, cultural, social, and economic environments. The current status of national security, the deterioration of infrastructure, difficulty in accessing clean water and sewage services in some areas, and the national levels of poverty, malnutrition, and social fragility are all factors that negatively affect the health of the Iraqi people [1]. There is a real need for a solid national health policy that is able to match the available resources against the health needs of a growing population, as provided in the Constitution of Iraq and National Development Plan, and oriented to a set of strategies and objectives that can drive development of the Iraqi health sector in the future [2]. Establishment of a fair and comprehensive national health system requires sustainable commitment to this policy by all stakeholders and partners in order to focus efforts and achieve synergy in the optimal investment of available resources and to provide health care services and attain maximum effectiveness and efficiency of systemic response to the health needs of the Iraqi people and society.