Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Establishing Public Health Security In A Postwar Iraq: Constitutional Obstacles And Lessons For Other Federalizing States, David P. Fidler, Kumanan Wilson, Christopher W. Mcdougall, Harvey Lazar

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The public health consequences of the conflict in Iraq will likely continue after the violence has subsided. Reestablishing public health security will require large investments in infrastructure and the creation of effective systems of governance. On the question of governance, the allocation of powers in the new constitution of Iraq is critical. Given the ease with which public health threats cross borders, the constitution needs to grant to the federal government the legal authority to manage such threats and simultaneously meet international requirements. Unfortunately, the draft constitution does not accomplish this objective. If politically possible, the constitution should be amended …