Egypt, World Bank discuss healthcare reform, universal insurance

Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with a World Bank delegation on Sunday to discuss expanding healthcare cooperation, including implementation of the Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS), local production of medicines and medical supplies, and private-sector partnerships.

The two sides reviewed ongoing and planned joint projects and ways to deepen cooperation between the government and private sector to provide advanced treatments, Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said in a statement.

They discussed the main components of a project supporting the implementation of Egypt’s UHIS, including upgrading the infrastructure of hospitals and health units and equipping facilities in governorates targeted in upcoming phases of the system, the statement said.

The discussions also covered integrating university hospitals into the universal health insurance system as part of efforts to provide high-quality healthcare services.

Egypt and the World Bank also discussed Indonesia’s experience in expanding universal health coverage, focusing on practices for managing large-scale healthcare systems, developing investment models, self-operation mechanisms, and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The two sides are coordinating a planned visit to Indonesia to study its healthcare experience, transfer expertise, strengthen the capabilities of Egyptian healthcare personnel, and identify approaches that could support higher quality standards, the ministry said.