The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the formation of health protection institutes in Russia and European countries. Their importance for the current state of health systems is analyzed from the standpoint of historical and socio-legal analysis. The authors note that the formation of an administrative mechanism for the prevention and control of diseases took place in Eastern and Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages and New Times. However, the turning point in the development of health care institutions in Russia and in Europe was the 18th century. Since that time, we can talk about the formation of health systems in the modern sense. According to the authors, the idea of the state responsibility for the health of its population, as well as the belief of European scientists about the social nature of many diseases, which spread in Western Europe, contributed to this formation. In the authors’ opinion, this fact led to the emergence of the first health laws, in which the main factor in the health of citizens was recognized as an improvement in their living conditions. It is noted that international recognition of health as a subjective right of every person has led to revolutionary changes in national health systems. National health standards began to change in the direction of their compliance with international standards. According to the authors, there are legal prerequisites for the formation of an effective and socially-oriented health care system in Russia. The authors think that there are legal prerequisites for the formation of an effective and socially-directed health care system in Russia. This is due to the constitutional consolidation of the right to health protection, as well as the treatment of health in its international legal significance. The main methods used were the method of analysis, the rationale, the comparative-historical method.
Mechanism of Health Protection: Historical and Legal Analysis