Forum of the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance for the sustainability of the health sector
Forum of the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance for the Sustainability of the Health Sector
As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance comprehensive health coverage and achieve sustainability in the provision of health insurance services, the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance organized its annual forum in the New Administrative Capital last Sunday – February 9 – under the slogan “Comprehensive and sustainable health coverage for all: The leading role of the private sector in achieving comprehensive and sustainable health care,” as this forum highlights the Egyptian state’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the third goal related to good health and well-being.
The forum witnessed a distinguished presence of senior figures and officials, including Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, “Prime Minister,” and a number of relevant ministers, in addition to an elite group of local and international experts in the fields of health and economics. Representatives of the private sector and civil society institutions also participated in the forum. Which shows everyone’s commitment to achieving “Egypt Vision 2030” and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Based on the role of the Earth Guards in promoting awareness of sustainable development issues, it provides a comprehensive follow-up to this forum, highlighting the importance of achieving comprehensive and sustainable health coverage, and the challenges facing this sector in Egypt, which contributes to supporting decision makers and adopting more effective sustainable solutions.
Forum Events
The forum activities began with the screening of a documentary film about the comprehensive health insurance system in Egypt, and the state’s vision for improving health services provided to citizens. The film included the executive position for implementing the system in its first phase, and the efforts made to achieve its financial sustainability, in addition to the achievements achieved in cooperation with local and foreign partners.
Prime Minister’s Speech
Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly expressed his happiness at attending the activities of the annual forum of the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance, which represents one of the pillars of the new health insurance system. He pointed out that the comprehensive health coverage project is a dream of a people and a vision of leadership and participation of an entire society. He explained that the implementation of the comprehensive health insurance system represents a fundamental shift in the concept of health care, and shows the state’s commitment to providing integrated health services to all citizens, in accordance with the “Egypt Vision.” 2030”, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Prime Minister added that health services were and will remain among the most important priorities for citizens, and that the vision adopted by the Egyptian state is that providing health services is not a luxury, but rather a basic right for every citizen, and true development is only achieved by a person enjoying a healthy and dignified life, explaining that the state has harnessed all financial and human resources to implement this project, as it is the largest structural reform project to develop the health care system, and to draw a road map to achieve comprehensive health coverage, through a symbiotic social solidarity system that guarantees the achievement of Health and social justice, by providing access to health care services for all segments of society without discrimination, with the state bearing the expenses of the groups most in need.
The Prime Minister also indicated that during the first phase of implementing the system in 6 governorates, the cost of equipping and raising the efficiency of health facilities amounted to more than 51 billion pounds to cover 6 million citizens with health services out of a total of 107 million citizens, and it is expected to spend about 115 billion pounds to equip the governorates of the second phase of the system; Which shows the amount of future spending expected to cover all citizens with health care services.
Investing in developing the health insurance system
In parallel with the state’s commitment to providing comprehensive health care, the private sector plays an important role in enhancing these efforts. Investing in developing the comprehensive health insurance system is a vital step to confront health challenges in Egypt, and this was confirmed in his speech by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar – Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population – in which he pointed out the necessity of encouraging investments in the health sector in order to confront these challenges, most notably the population increase. He pointed out that the rates of health care beds in Egypt are still lower than international rates, as the global bed ratio is 28 beds per 10,000 citizens, compared to 12 beds per 10,000 citizens in Egypt. Egypt.
He explained that the Egyptian government supports the cooperation of the private sector with the government sector to achieve the goal of comprehensive health coverage, noting that the number of national projects implemented in the health field during the last 10 years reached 1,300 projects, including 20 projects in 2024 at a cost exceeding 35 billion pounds in 11 governorates.
Dr. Ihab Abu Aish, “Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance,” and Professor Mai Farid, “Executive Director of the Authority,” also pointed out in their speech the pivotal role of the private sector in developing the comprehensive health insurance system; Dr. Abu Aish explained that the Egyptian state pays great attention to reforming the health system, and that comprehensive health insurance represents a strategic national program that aims to reformulate the relationship between the citizen and the health system, according to an approach based on efficiency, health justice, and financial sustainability. He stressed that the success of implementing this system requires the concerted efforts of all efforts, first and foremost the private sector, which is an essential partner in the success of this system.
Professor Mai Farid explained that the private sector’s participation in the forum’s discussions reflects a collective commitment towards developing a comprehensive and sustainable health insurance system that guarantees every Egyptian citizen’s access to high-quality health services, noting that the next stage will witness continued hard work to achieve the desired transformation in the comprehensive health insurance system, by launching pilot programs and signing new memorandums of understanding; To enhance partnership between the public and private sectors.
Concluding recommendations of the forum
The forum concluded with the launch of a number of important recommendations; Professor Mai Farid – Executive Director of the Authority – announced a set of initiatives and final recommendations, which aim to strengthen the comprehensive health insurance system in Egypt and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the field of health.
The recommendations came in several main axes, including strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors, benefiting from digital solutions to expand the scope of health care and raising its efficiency, establishing a unified and integrated health information system, and investing in quality improvement programs to ensure the provision of fair and effective health care to all citizens. It also called for developing a strategic plan to expand the provision of health services in rural and deprived areas, by strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Strategic Partnerships
The forum witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation protocols and agreements with government agencies and leading companies in the health and financial sectors, with the aim of enhancing the sustainability of the health system and improving the quality of services provided to citizens.
These agreements included various areas, such as enabling the use of social support cards to verify eligibility for health services, supporting health service providers by providing the necessary funding to purchase medical equipment and supplies, strengthening the digital structure of the system, developing the capabilities of human cadres, and expanding the base of health service providers.
It is clear through the forum that the efforts made to achieve comprehensive health coverage in Egypt are moving steadily towards achieving “Egypt Vision 2030” and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore,Earth Guards appreciates these efforts, and also calls for continued fruitful cooperation between the public and private sectors for a more sustainable future.
