National Health Authority

The National Health Authority (NHA; Arabic: سلطة الصحة الوطنية sulṭat aṣ-ṣaḥah al-waṭanīyah) is an agency of the Arab Union federal government directly subordinate to the Ministry of Health. It is responsible for operating the nation's universal healthcare system; from emergency/trauma centres and women's and children's hospitals to primary care youth clinics and drug & alcohol treatment centres, virtually all healthcare facilities and programs and related infrastructure is owned and operated by the NHA. Healthcare-related programs administered by separate agencies of the Ministry of Health are generally limited to food safety and drug regulation, research & development activities, accreditation of institutions and licensing of healthcare professionals, and administration of the single-payer system which funds the NHA and other Ministry of Health agencies.

Dr. Munzer el-Ashhab has served as Chairman of the National Health Authority since September 2013. As of June 2020, over 95% of all major hospitals and over 90% of all other hospitals, clinics and treatment programs were operated directly by the NHA; the remainder is accounted for by facilities and programs operated by non-profit organizations, mostly charities and/or religious groups, which still receive public funding through the single-payer system and thus do not charge for any of their services (for-profit organisations are prohibited in most aspects of public health, a notable exception being research & development and pharmacy).