Country-specific approaches to financing health systems and vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can improve health outcomes while reducing out-of-pocket expenditure – Salzburg Global Seminar
MENA Health Financing: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face diverse health financing challenges. Country-specific approaches can improve health outcomes and reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Egypt’s Health Reforms: Egypt is reforming its health system through a universal health insurance program, diversifying funding sources, and reducing financial burdens for the most vulnerable. This program aims to create a more resilient health system capable of responding to pandemics.
Economic Solutions for Vaccine Inequality: COVID-19 exposed the disparity in vaccine access between high- and low-income countries. Wealthier nations have better resources for pharmaceutical research, allowing for earlier access to vaccines. Financial innovation and collaborative solutions can help bridge this gap.
Challenges with Multi-Lane Procurement: The pandemic highlighted the operational issues arising from various vaccine types with different storage, dosage, and distribution requirements. This caused logistical challenges and underscored the need for coordinated approaches to vaccine procurement.
A Global Approach: Addressing vaccine inequity requires a collaborative effort. Like climate change, it demands a collective solution involving stakeholders from various sectors, including governments, private industry, academia, and development partners. The focus should be on better pandemic preparedness and equitable vaccine access models for low- and middle-income countries.
