Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Belize?
In 2026, Belize scores 34 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 132nd of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 100th to 166th allowing for scoring error, in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: the government. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
The government decides, with limited say for the person. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is doctors see it when treating you (55 out of 100, against 33 to 34 for the typical country). The furthest behind is protection from sale and ads (25 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
Belize has run one public health record (BHIS) since 2008, but its 2021 data protection law is still not in force.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Weak band, 25 to 44
34/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 100th to 166th, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 25 out of 100 in Belize; the typical country scores 40 to 45. The Data Protection Act 2021 promises a free copy within one month, but in September 2026 it was still not in force. No patient portal for the BHIS record was found; the only patient app shows the vaccination card. Source: egov.gov.bz, 2021, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Belize?
In 2026, the government holds the keys to your health record in Belize. Control over who sees it scores 25 out of 100 in Belize; the typical country scores 30. Every patient gets one client number in BHIS, which public clinicians use to see their history wherever they are treated. No opt-out and no patient-visible access log were found, and the 2021 consent rules are not in force. Source: Amandala, September 25, 2024, and the other sources below.
How does Belize compare?
In 2026, Belize scores 34 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Dominican Republic (34 out of 100), Antigua and Barbuda (33 out of 100) and Cuba (35 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
25
40 · 35 · 45
Control over who sees it20%
25
30 · 30 · 30
Privacy and security15%
30
35 · 42 · 33
One record across your care15%
55
30 · 28 · 25
Protection from sale and ads10%
25
42 · 42 · 45
Doctors see it when treating you10%
55
28 · 25 · 25
Your say over research use5%
43
49 · 43 · 49
Rules for AI in your care5%
20
25 · 20 · 40
Black dot: Belize. Hollow dots: Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Belize 34 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Belize need to change to score higher?
Belize sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are getting your full record (25 out of 100, against 40 to 45 for the typical country) and privacy and security (30 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Getting your full record: A national portal that shows most people at least part of their record (a summary, prescriptions, lab results) puts this right at 60 to 75 out of 100. A near-full record that you can download, with a long history and used by most people, puts it at 76 to 90.
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Which laws give health record rights in Belize?
Data Protection Act, 2021 (Act No. 45 of 2021): Free access within one month, 72-hour breach notice; health is not sensitive data. Not yet in force.
Freedom of Information Act, Cap. 13 (1994): Right of access to documents of ministries and prescribed authorities, with review by the Ombudsman.
Social Security Act, Cap. 44 (National Health Insurance Part) (2001): Creates the National Health Insurance Scheme as the financing and purchasing mechanism for health care.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
13.4 2021
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
20.6 2023
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
33.3% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Real cases
May 19, 2025 · 7 News Belize Patient says private hospital has refused for months to release her records
February 5, 2025 · 7 News Belize Patient told hospital policy bars her from seeing her own medical records
In 2026, Belize scored 34 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 132nd of 198 countries and territories (could be 100th to 166th), in the Weak band. Who holds the keys: the government. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/belize/
The 13 sources for Belize
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Data Protection Act, 2021 (Act No. 45 of 2021)”
egov.gov.bz (law or regulation) · Title in English
Dated 2021 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Control over who sees it; Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads; Your say over research use; Rules for AI in your care
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions 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™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. 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/belize/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
