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The president of the Tunisian Association for the Defense of the Right to Health, Dr. Abdelaziz Massaoudi, stated that the health situation in Tunisia is "not optimistic", given the figures from the General Census of Population and Housing, which indicate that one-fifth of the Tunisian population does not have health coverage (i.e., two million Tunisians, or 19% of the population). Speaking on the waves of "Jawhara FM" during a conference on the right to health, organized by the association on the sidelines of World Universal Health Coverage Day, Massaoudi added that 500,000 children, 250,000 elderly people, and a number of people with disabilities do not have access to necessary health coverage. He emphasized that Tunisia has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the recommendations of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the realization of the right to health for every citizen. However, he noted that it is difficult to achieve this goal in Tunisia, particularly because the World Health Organization (WHO) sets a minimum threshold of 8% for the health ministry's budget as a percentage of the state budget, while this percentage does not exceed 5.4% in Tunisia. He explained that this requires increased effort from the state to reform the public health sector, which suffers from a lack of medical equipment and a shortage of medical personnel who are emigrating both within and outside the country, affecting the quality of health services for citizens. The doctor specified that it is imperative for the authorities to review the country's health map and study how to reform the health system, ensure treatment and medication for every citizen, and intensify awareness and prevention campaigns. He concluded that this requires a national dialogue involving civil society, public authorities, and all stakeholders in the health sector to correct what can be corrected, based on the state's capabilities.
