The focus of this paper will be on how health care systems in three countries, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States, are responding to the health needs of immigrants with a strong focus on the legal aspects of the respective national responses. The Malaysia portion emphasizes legal immigration and analyses as to how the country's Ministry of Health and the delivery system itself is responding to the demands of immigrant's health. In the context of South Africa, the paper explores implications of the South African Constitution, which establishes a right to access health care, and explores whether such a right can be extended to non-citizens, or can be tempered by economic constraints. In the American discussion the focus is on whether publicly supported health care programs can be accessed to provide coverage for undocumented residents, and highlights recent constraints in using government monies in this area. © Yozmot 2005.

South Africa Health care resources United States of America Malaysia Immigration

immigrant refugee Human immunodeficiency virus infection health care policy human immigration economic aspect Malaria resource allocation South Africa human rights United States budget tuberculosis Malaysia Article legal aspect health care access emergency health service government medicaid health care system health care facility acquired immune deficiency syndrome health care need health care delivery