Egypt: Implementation of national health insurance to continue in spite of global economic challenges
Egypt's Finance Ministry has asserted that the country's new Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) will be implemented across all governorates, in line with presidential directives, in spite of the global economic challenges. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, also...
Health Equity in Egypt: Reflections in 2022
This commentary sheds the light on the current health equity landscape in Egypt. It addresses equity issues relating to affordability, access, availability, utilization of health services and implications on health outcomes. On the policy level, Egypt has...
Saudi Arabia to no longer bear treatment costs of COVID-19 patients in private sector
The Council of Health Insurance (Dhaman) announced that the state will no longer bear the treatment costs of COVID-19 patients in the private sector facilities. Dhaman notified this through a circular sent to all the approved healthcare service providers and the...
Iran: Health Spending Has Increased Sixfold in Past Eight Years
According to senior Iranian budget officials, government spending in the healthcare sector has increased by six times in just eight years to over 6 billion USD. Hamid Pour Asghari, deputy head of the Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) of Iran, said that projected...
Egypt’s public spending on health rose by 70% since 2018, minister says
Egypt’s volume of public spending on the health sector has increased by 70 percent said the minister of planning and economic development, compared to the previous three years amounting to 270 billion Egyptian pounds (14.6 billion USD). The Ministry of Health and...
CNAMU-BURKINA FASO: Soumaila GAMSORE takes charge of General Management
Appointed on June 22, 2022 by the Council of Ministers, Soumaïla Gamsoré is now in charge of the CNAMU. During the handover ceremony held this Friday, July 1, 2022 at the headquarters of the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie Universelle, he already set himself a...
Cambodia – Celebration at the French Embassy of the launching of L4UHC programme in Cambodia
On the occasion of the launching of the L4UHC programme in Cambodia, the French Embassy hosted a cocktail reception at the Residence of the Ambassador of France on the 31st of May. The first in-country workshop has taken place on the 30th and 31st of May. 21...
Minister of Public Health Delivers Qatar’s Country Statement at the the 75Th World Health Assembly
During her speech at the 75th World Health Assembly, Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of health stated that the State of Qatar, under the present government was able to address the challenges of COVID-19 successfully due to a comprehensive, whole...
Universal health insurance in Africa: a narrative review of the literature on institutional models
Equitable health financing where costs are shared within a population based on everyone’s contributory capacity is critical for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Several African countries have introduced Universal Health Insurance (UHI) programmes with the aim of...
Can National Health Insurance pave the way to Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa?
African leaders across the continent have made bold commitments to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC). One way to show this commitment has been through exploring National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS). In this study, the authors examine African country...
President Buhari says that 83 million poor Nigerians will benefit from the new health insurance scheme
President Muhammadu Buhari announced that, as recommended by the Lancet Nigeria Commission, a fund will be set up to ensure coverage of 83 million poor Nigerians (who cannot afford to pay premiums) in the new National Health Insurance Scheme . A statement issued by...
Health coverage and financial protection in Uganda: A political economy perspective
It has been over 20 years since Uganda abolished user-fees to improve access to health services and reduce the financial burden of accessing care. However, household out-of-pocket expenditures are still persistently very high contributing 42% of total health...
Jordan: IAF proposes independent institution to run health insurance services
The Islamic Action Front party (IAF) in Jordan has proposed setting up an independent public institution to run health insurance services nationwide, similar to the Social Security Corporation (SSC). IAF said this is part of the Jordan Vision 2030 is based...
Jordan’s lower house passes 2022 budget bill: Key takeaways for health
Jordan’s lower house on Monday passed the 2022 draft laws for the state budget and for this year’s budgets of independent public institutions after marathon deliberations that took place for seven days. Healthcare allocations are increased in the budget law by JD 177...
An assessment on Universal Health Coverage in Fiji is now available
Health services at public facilities in Fiji were and still are largely free and readily available for the population with limited user fees charged for certain specialized medical procedures. It even offers waivers for said fees to poorer patients. This assessment...