Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-01Who holds the health record in Guinea-Bissau?
In 2026, Guinea-Bissau scores 21 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 194 of 196 countries (likely range 178 to 196), in the Poor band (0 to 24). Who holds the keys: Institutional. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-01.
Guinea-Bissau has no data protection law and keeps clinical records on paper, so patients have almost no legal or practical hold on their health data.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-01 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Guinea-Bissau?
Access to the full record scores 20 of 100 in Guinea-Bissau, against a median of 43 across 196 countries. No law gives patients a right to see or copy their medical record, and Guinea-Bissau has no data protection law. Clinical records in every health centre and hospital are kept on paper, so there is nothing to view online.
Can I control who sees my health record in Guinea-Bissau?
Control and consent scores 20 of 100 in Guinea-Bissau, against a median of 30 across 196 countries. There is no data law, so patients have no legal consent, objection or access-log rights over health data. Records sit on paper in each facility, and providers and programmes decide how data moves.
Eight rights, against Eritrea, Sudan, Libya and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 20 | 18 · 22 · 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 20 | 22 · 22 · 22 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 22 | 25 · 20 · 25 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 20 | 20 · 18 · 18 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 20 | 25 · 20 · 25 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 15 | 15 · 15 · 17 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 43 | 43 · 46 · 46 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 15 | 18 · 25 · 25 |
Black dot: Guinea-Bissau. Hollow dots: Eritrea, Sudan, Libya (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 196 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Guinea-Bissau 21, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; read the rank with its likely range.
What would Guinea-Bissau need to change to score higher?
Guinea-Bissau sits in Poor (0 to 24); Weak starts at 25. The two rights furthest below the 196-country median, weighted, are patient access to the full record (20, median 43) and privacy and security (22, 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.
- Privacy and security: Health-sector enforcement on the record: an independent regulator deciding health-data cases, breach notification and penalties applied.
Which laws give health record rights in Guinea-Bissau?
- Constitution of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (1984, revised 1996), Article 44 (1996): Protects intimate privacy and family life; no specific right over health records.
- Penal Code, Decree-Law 4/93, Articles 142 and 143 (1993): Revealing a professional secret: up to one year or a fine, on complaint. Bans publicising private life.
- ECOWAS Supplementary Act A/SA.1/01/10 on Personal Data Protection (2010): Health data is sensitive; states must adopt a law and a regulator. Not yet done nationally.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 2.5 2024
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 9.3 2024
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 61.6% 2023
- Record reaches private care?
- unknown
Published stories
- none published in the last two years
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