IntroductionJordan is an Arab country located in the Middle East, bordered by Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Israel. Located at the crossroads of several major highways that connect the Middle East, the country is strategically important, but also the destination of successive waves of immigrants. Jordan's large immigrant population has had a significant and lasting impact on the nature of the country's healthcare system. History of Healthcare in Jordan The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy that gained independence from Great Britain on May 25, 1946. With a population of just over 6 million, 82.6% of the Jordanians live in urban areas and 17.4% in rural areas. The political system is described by Johnson and Stoskopf (2010) as “parliamentary with a hereditary monarchy” (p. 262), with the King of Jordan acting as head of state, chief executive, and head of the armed forces. In the 1950s, the country developed a new modern constitution that is still in force today and guarantees the rights of all citizens. The Jordanian health system was formed in two distinct phases. During the period 1921–1946, the country saw the introduction of its first public hospital, a health law, and a national health department. The second phase began in the late 1940s, with the creation of the first Ministry of Health, followed by a doctors' union, a central medical examination laboratory, the country's first nursing school and the introduction of other health-related educational programs. In 1963, the first health insurance scheme was launched for members of the armed forces, followed by the first public health insurance scheme for civilians in 1965. Current health system Jordan is in the middle of paper.... .enormous pressure on its viability. Over the past three decades, the system has undergone major reforms as the country strived to improve coverage, reduce non-communicable diseases, and generally maintain and improve the quality of health care. health for its citizens. But the system will require a major government commitment if it is achieved. these objectives. Works Cited Hasna, F., Hundt, GL, Al-Smairan, M. and Alzaroo, S. (2010). Quality of primary nursing care for Bedouins in Jordan. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 16(6), 564-572. doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2010.01882.xJohnson, J. & Stoskopf, C. (2010). Comparative health systems: global perspectives for the 21st century. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. The Jordanian people. (nd) retrieved from http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/people1.htmlZahran, M. (2012). Jordan is Palestinian. Middle East Quarterly, 19(1), 3-12.