Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of 2026-10-01
Who holds the health record in Eswatini?
In 2026, Eswatini scores 43 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 80= of 198 countries (likely range 59 to 106), in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: Institutional. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-01.
Providers and insurers decide. Its strongest right against the other countries is connected care journey (50, against a median of 38 across 198 countries); its weakest is clinical AI governance (25, median 30).
Most public clinics share one national electronic record, but patients get no portal, no sharing choices, and health data rules are still in draft.
Published · updated · this country's data as of 2026-10-01 · research tool, not legal advice
43overall, of 100 · Weak
80=rank of 198
Institutionalwho holds the keys
mediumconfidence
88 · Goldevidence grade (DTI)
Can I get my health records in Eswatini?
Access to the full record scores 40 of 100 in Eswatini, against a median of 43 across 198 countries. Section 19 of the Data Protection Act 2022 gives a right to a copy of your data, including who has had access to it, but at a prescribed fee. We found no patient portal, so requests go facility by facility.
Can I control who sees my health record in Eswatini?
Control and consent scores 35 of 100 in Eswatini, against a median of 30 across 198 countries. Health data may be processed without consent for treatment and facility administration, and the national CMIS record is shared across public clinics with no opt-out we could find. A right to learn who accessed your data exists in law, not verified in practice.
Eight rights, against Seychelles, South Africa, Rwanda and the EU
Patient access to the full record20%
40
40 · 40 · 50
Patient control and consent20%
35
42 · 42 · 30
Privacy and security15%
55
45 · 60 · 52
Connected care journey15%
50
52 · 33 · 46
Protection from commercial use10%
42
40 · 50 · 50
Clinician access at the point of care10%
45
50 · 32 · 34
Research and trial consent5%
46
46 · 50 · 50
Clinical AI governance5%
25
20 · 48 · 55
Black dot: Eswatini. Hollow dots: Seychelles, South Africa, Rwanda (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 198 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Eswatini 43, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; read the rank with its likely range.
What would Eswatini need to change to score higher?
Eswatini sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. The two rights furthest below the 198-country median, weighted, are patient access to the full record (40, median 43) and protection from commercial use (42, median 45). The published rubric reads:
Patient access to the full record: A national portal showing at least part of the record (summary, prescriptions, labs) to most residents puts access at 60 to 75; a near-full record with export, long history and majority use, 76 to 90.
Protection from commercial use: Clear limits on selling health data or using it for marketing, covering apps and data brokers as well as providers.
Which laws give health record rights in Eswatini?
Data Protection Act, 2022 (Act No. 5 of 2022) (2022): Health is sensitive data; access, correction and marketing objection rights; breach notice; fines up to E100 million.
Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, 2016 (Act 9 of 2016) (2016): Creates the Medicines Regulatory Authority; registers medicines and devices; trials need approval and good clinical practice.
Eswatini Communications Commission Act, 2013 (2013): Sets up the Commission that the Data Protection Act names as the data protection authority.
Strain and split context, not scored
Doctors per 10,000
5.6 2023
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
42.6 2023
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
26.0% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Published stories
2026-09-08 · Inhlase Centre for Investigative Journalism Deaf patients say hospitals without interpreters force them to share health details with others
2026-08-19 · APAnews (African Press Agency) Eswatini signs US health funding deal amid concern over sharing health data
In 2026, Eswatini scored 43 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record, rank 80= of 198 countries (likely range 59 to 106) (Weak; who holds the keys: Institutional). Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-01, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/SWZ/
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Questions, corrections or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI: SuperTruth's Data Trust Index, grading the evidence behind each score. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/SWZ/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Text and scores CC BY 4.0.
