Public Health Act (Cap. 277).

The Act makes provision for a wide variety of matters affecting public health in Mauritius including, amongst other things, food safety matters, safe water supplies, appointment and duties of environmental health officers, dangerous epidemic diseases and diseases communicable by animals to men, general nuisances, nuisances related to water and to the keeping of animals, sanitation and sanitation works, measures to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes. The Act is divided into 14 Parts and completed by 14 Schedules.
The main functions regarding health are assigned to the sanitary authority ( a Government medical officer or a health inspector). The Permanent Secretary shall have the general control of all public hospitals, and shall be vested with and may exercise the same powers as the Sanitary Authority. The President may, having regard to vested rights, direct the execution on State land and private land of works for improving the sanitary condition of any area in the Island of Mauritius. (b) These works shall include the— (i) draining of marshes or other lakes, ponds or other low-lying grounds where water may accumulate; (ii) straightening or other variation of the courses of rivers; (iii) alteration of the levels of beds of rivers to provide for the better flow of water; (iv) removal or reconstruction of dykes and dams in rivers; and (v) canalisation of river courses and the removal of vegetable, other growth or impediments in, and along the banks of lakes, ponds or river courses and along and around the dykes and dams referred to in subparagraph (iv). Notwithstanding the Rivers and Canals Act, it shall not be necessary to apply to the Supreme Court for authority to execute any works under subsection (1) in or in respect of any river, lake or pond.
As to the supply of water, Where it appears to the Sanitary Authority that a common lodging house is without a proper supply of water for the use of the lodgers, and that the supply can be furnished at a reasonable rate, the Sanitary Authority may, by notice in writing, require the owner or keeper of the premises, within a time specified in it, to obtain the supply and to do all works necessary for that purpose.
The Act provides with respect to the storage of food. All buildings, except sugar factories, used for the preparation or storage of food for sale shall be— (a) constructed of such materials and kept in such condition as shall satisfy the Sanitary Authority; and (b) rat proof. It also provides some rules of hygiene of food establishments.
Where any part of Mauritius appears to be threatened with, or is infected by, any dangerous epidemic, endemic, infectious or communicable disease, the Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, direct that sections 79 to 83 shall be applicable in— (a) Mauritius; or (b) such area of Mauritius as may be specified in the notice. After the issue of a notice under section 78, and while it continues in force, the Minister may make such regulations as he thinks fit, for the prevention or mitigation of any epidemic, endemic, infectious or communicable disease.