Amman – Wednesday, 23 September 2026
The Phenix Center for Economic andInformatics Studies organized a broad national dialogue on priorities foradvancing the right to health in Jordan, with the participation ofrepresentatives of civil society organizations, local associations,organizations of persons with disabilities, women’s organizations, andcommunity-based initiatives. The dialogue aimed to discuss the key challengesfacing the realization of the right to health and to promote equitable accessto medicines and healthcare services.
The dialogue was organized as part ofthe Center’s efforts to strengthen community participation in discussions onhealth policies and to draw on the expertise and experiences of civil societyorganizations and local initiatives. This approach contributes to identifyinggaps and challenges that may not be adequately reflected in officialindicators, while conveying citizens’ needs and experiences to relevantauthorities and policymakers.
The dialogue focused on exploring thepossibility of establishing a national network of civil society organizationsworking on the right to health. Such a network would provide a platform forpooling efforts and expertise, coordinating work on equitable access tohealthcare services and medicines, and transforming fragmented demands andchallenges into a shared agenda that can serve as a basis for dialogue,advocacy, and follow-up on health policies.
Ahmad Awad, Director of the PhenixCenter, said that ensuring patients’ access to medicines of appropriate qualityand in sufficient quantities and at the right time is a fundamental componentof the right to health and continuity of treatment. He noted that Jordan has arelatively advanced pharmaceutical system, but that the challenge is notlimited to the availability of medicines within the healthcare system; rather,it also concerns whether medicines actually reach patients in the right placeand at the right time.
He added that advancing the right tohealth requires the development of integrated management of the health andpharmaceutical system centered on patients’ needs. This includes improvingsupply and distribution mechanisms, strengthening citizens’ ability to accessinformation and services, and developing effective complaint and accountabilitymechanisms.
For her part, Aysha Barhoumeh,Projects Coordinator and Researcher at the Phenix Center, said that thechallenges facing the right to health in Jordan are not limited to theprovision of healthcare services, but also extend to their accessibility,quality, and continuity. She pointed to disparities in access to certainhealthcare services and medicines among different groups and regions across theKingdom.
She added that the national dialoguewas organized based on the Center’s belief that health is a fundamental humanright, rather than merely an issue related to the provision of healthcareservices. She explained that the Center’s research and fieldwork over recentyears have identified a number of challenges affecting the ability of somepeople, particularly vulnerable groups, to access and benefit from healthcareservices fairly.
Barhoumeh explained that the dialogueprovides a space bringing together civil society organizations, experts,academics, and relevant stakeholders with the aim of moving from diagnosingchallenges to discussing possible solutions and strengthening coordinationaround policies and practices that can contribute to advancing the right tohealth and ensuring equitable access to healthcare services.
She noted that the identifiedchallenges are not limited to whether a healthcare service exists, but alsoinclude how easily it can be accessed, its quality and continuity, disparitiesbetween different regions and groups, as well as challenges related tocitizens’ awareness of their health rights and the mechanisms for accessingservices.
She highlighted access to medicines asa key aspect of this issue, both in terms of the availability of medicines andpatients’ ability to obtain them, in addition to the need to strengthencomplaint and feedback mechanisms within the healthcare system.
Barhoumeh stressed the importance ofmore effectively involving civil society organizations in discussions on healthpolicies and services, given their field experience, ability to reach localcommunities, identify their needs, and convey those needs to policymakers.
She said that the challenges are notlimited to gaps in services, but also include gaps in participation,coordination, and access to information. Addressing these gaps requiresstrengthening communication channels between civil society organizations,government institutions, and local communities.
During the dialogue, participantsdiscussed the possibility of establishing a national network of civil societyorganizations working on the right to health, based on the importance ofcollective action in increasing the impact of civil society organizations’efforts and coordinating their interventions.
Participants emphasized that civilsociety organizations possess diverse expertise and experiences, as well as theability to reach different groups and communities. Bringing these experiencestogether within a participatory framework could contribute to developing a morecomprehensive understanding of the state of the right to health and access tomedicines and healthcare services in Jordan.
The proposed network is expected tocontribute to the exchange of information and expertise, coordination of efforts,identification of priority issues, and the development of more integratedresearch and studies. It would also support the development of joint positionsand recommendations and facilitate their more organized communication torelevant authorities and policymakers.
Participants stressed that theproposed network is not intended to replace existing institutions or eliminatetheir roles, but rather to provide a space for cooperation and complementaritywhile preserving the independence, expertise, and roles of participatingorganizations.
Equitable access to medicines andhealthcare services was a key focus of the discussions. Participants emphasizedthat the availability of medicines in warehouses and central storagefacilities, by itself, is not a sufficient indicator of effective access totreatment.
Participants discussed challengesrelated to distribution chains and the replenishment of medicines and suppliesamong healthcare facilities, disparities in access to healthcare servicesacross governorates and regions, the financial burdens borne by patients, andthe effectiveness of complaint and feedback mechanisms available to citizens.
The discussions also addressed theneeds of groups facing greater difficulties in accessing healthcare, includingwomen, persons with disabilities, older persons, and refugees. Participantsemphasized the importance of providing patients with clear and transparentinformation about available services and treatments and about their rightswithin the healthcare system.
The dialogue was divided into fourmain working groups. The first addressed priorities for reforming thehealthcare system, including gaps related to equitable access, continuity oftreatment, geographical disparities, and the needs of groups most vulnerable tomarginalization.
The second group focused on how totransform local expertise and experiences into a national agenda by drawing onthe experiences of associations and organizations working directly withcitizens and local communities, and translating these experiences into jointpolicy papers and reform demands.
The third group discussed thepotential roles of a national civil society network, including advocacy,community monitoring, information sharing, and establishing regular channels ofdialogue with government authorities, Parliament, healthcare sector unions,universities, and the media.
The fourth group focused on theidentity of the proposed network and its working mechanisms, including itsmission, principles, areas of intervention, and decision-making mechanisms,while emphasizing the independence of participating organizations and ensuringthat the network does not become a formal institutional framework.
The Phenix Center emphasized that thenational dialogue represents a first step in a civil society-led processseeking to move from diagnosing problems toward building a shared agenda foradvocacy and action, based on identifying a set of priorities that can beaddressed collectively during the next phase.
The priorities raised include ensuringcontinued access to essential medicines, improving mechanisms for replenishingmedicines and supplies among healthcare facilities, strengthening complaint andfeedback systems, improving access to health information, and reducing thefinancial burdens associated with obtaining treatment.
Participants also discussed theestablishment of an interim coordination committee during the coming period tofollow up on the outcomes of the dialogue, develop the proposed network’s termsof reference, expand participation to include additional organizations andinitiatives working on the right to health, prepare an initial advocacy agenda,and identify priority issues.
The Phenix Center emphasized thatadvancing the right to health is a shared responsibility requiringcomplementary roles among government institutions, civil society, academic andprofessional bodies, and local communities. It stressed that the role of civilsociety extends beyond monitoring challenges to include proposing solutions,contributing to policy development, and strengthening social accountability.
The Center noted that the nationaldialogue and proposed civil society network seek to establish a sustained andorganized process of joint action that goes beyond holding meetings to includeproducing knowledge, research, and policy papers; developing practicalproposals; following up on their implementation; and strengthening regulardialogue on health and pharmaceutical issues in Jordan.