This document gives an overview of the health care transformation envisioned in Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030”, spelling out the underlying national goals. Led by the Ministry of Health and developed in close collaboration with the National Transformation Program, it...

UNICEF creates fund to support low- and middle-income countries’ access to COVID-19 health supplies
UNICEF invites contributions to support its ACT-A Supplies Financing Facility (“ACT-A SFF”), a newly launched pooled fund that will enable us to mount the largest health and logistics operation ever seen. ACT-A (Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator) is a global...

Saudi Arabia to provide free COVID-19 vaccines in pharmacies
Saudi Arabia will provide coronavirus vaccines in pharmacies around the Kingdom for free as part of its efforts to expand the ongoing inoculation campaign and facilitate access to vaccine sites, he added. The doses will be given to people according to priority...

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman orders free COVID 19 treatment for all, including visa violators
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered coronavirus treatment to be available, free of charge, for all citizens and expatriates in need of medical care, including people who have overstayed their visas in the Kingdom. The government urged all of those showing symptoms...

Azerbaijan started producing domestic PCR tests for COVID-19 to save costs and expand access
Production of COVID-19 PCR test kits began in Azerbaijan this week by the Diamed Co. Syringe Manufacturing Plant, a local medical factory established as a joint venture between the state and private sector in 2019. The joint venture saw the launch of an all-new...

Qatar mandates private health insurance for expatriates
Employers in Qatar will be required to provide health insurance coverage for expatriates and their families under a new law issued by the emir this week. The huge number of foreign workers in the small but wealthy Gulf natural gas producer means Qatari nationals...
Health Vision 2050 Sultanate of Oman
The Health Vision 2050 document lays out the Omani vision for its health system to be in future. It consists of, among other things, a chapter on sustainable health system financing that focuses on improving equity and ensuring financial protection for all. The...

COVID-19 patients in Oman to be covered by insurance
The Capital Market Authority in Oman has launched an initiative to cover medical tests and treatment costs for COVID-19 infected insured members (nationals and expatriates) under their medical insurance coverage, according to a circular issued by the authority. The...

Oman’s health endowment fund’s remit transcends COVID-19 fight
In the week since it was rolled out, Oman’s first endowment fund dedicated to public healthcare services has garnered several millions of Omani riyals in contributions from government, public and private sector organisations, and growing numbers of individuals as...

Oman rolls out mandatory health insurance in private sector
Oman's Capital Market Authority (CMA) is currently drafting plans to introduce mandatory health insurance for all residents in the country after the Council of Ministers made recommendations to do so. “The decision aims at meeting the needs of the employees of the...

CSU au TCHAD: Promulgation of law n°026 creating the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAS)
On 31/12/2020, the Chadian National Assembly unanimously adopted the law creating the National Health Insurance Fund. This law was promulgated on the same day by the Head of State, the Marshal of Chad, Idriss Déby ITNO. Passage and promulgation of the...

The Lebanese National Social Security Fund, explained
The National Social Security Fund was founded in 1963 under the (then joint) Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs via the Lebanese Social Security Law, with the aim of creating universal insurance. It is primarily funded by the contributions of private companies...
Bahrain’s National Health Plan
Bahrain’s Supreme Council of Health published the country’s National Health Plan in 2016 with the objective of adopting modern methods in providing healthcare services to meet the health needs of its citizens starting with primary healthcare promoting optimal...
Turkey- Social Insurance and Universal Health Insurance Law
The purpose of this law in Turkey is to outline the government policy on social insurance and universal health insurance and list the types of individuals/ groups who will benefit from such insurances and their specific provisions.

Turkey provides COVID 19 treatment and medicine free of charge
Coronavirus treatment and medicine for patients in public hospitals in Turkey has been made free of charge following a presidential decree. It says that all patients, even if they failed to pay state insurance, will be granted protective gear and testing, as well as...