The GATS and South Africas National Health Act.

2006 
Important aspects of South Africas flagship health legislation the National Health Act conflict with legally binding commitments the former apartheid regime negotiated under the World Trade Organizations General Agreement on Trade in Services. This trade treaty conflict threatens to undermine the legislation and if left unresolved would make meeting the health needs of the majority of the population more difficult. South Africa has several options for resolving this conflict in favour of its health policy imperatives but each entails risk. South Africas dilemma should serve as a worldwide warning that health policy-makers governments and citizens need to be far more attentive to international treaties governing services and ongoing negotiations to expand them. Hopefully this increased awareness will spur action to ensure that South African health policy initiatives can proceed without World Trade Organizations General Agreement on Trade in Services interference. (authors)
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