The French Development Agency: The Egyptian Experience Is Worthy of Attention and Support.
What we saw on the ground reflects a political will to support comprehensive health coverage.
We are keen to continue the path of development cooperation to contribute to achieving the dream of all Egyptians.
Minister of Finance: Our experience is based on the right of citizens to health care “from the place of their choice.”
The state does not monopolize the provision of services. It provides the private medical sector with promising competitive opportunities.
We deal with fair and incentive prices to purchase 3,000 services for beneficiaries according to the latest scientific advances.
We target the highest quality standard to achieve the highest levels of satisfaction among citizens.
And the Executive Director of Universal Health Insurance in Switzerland: Maintaining financial sustainability for expansion to governorates.
The separation of the entities of “financing and management,” “health accreditation and supervision,” and “service delivery” ensures the success of the new system.
The Universal Health Insurance (UHI) project has garnered widespread acclaim from international development partners, reinforcing the global confidence in Egypt’s endeavor to provide comprehensive and integrated healthcare for all citizens. This initiative plays a pivotal role in easing the financial and emotional strain associated with illness, diminishing poverty rates, and curbing personal healthcare expenditures.
A delegation from the French Development Agency (AFD) expressed its deep appreciation for the Egyptian experience in implementing the universal health insurance system, calling it “a worthy endeavor that deserves attention and support.” The delegation said that what they saw on the ground during their field visit to the Ismailia Governorate, in the midst of unprecedented internal and external challenges, reflects a strong political will to support universal health coverage. This, in turn, has motivated the AFD to continue its commitment to development cooperation in Egypt, in order to contribute to achieving the dream of all Egyptians, which is in line with the AFD’s efforts to promote human development.
Dr. Mohamed Maait, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance, emphasized that Egypt’s universal health insurance system upholds the citizen’s right to access comprehensive and integrated healthcare services for themselves and their families. This choice extends to public, private, or other accredited healthcare institutions, adhering to the highest international standards, as overseen by the General Authority for Accreditation and Health Control. Importantly, the government does not monopolize healthcare provision under this system. Instead, it fosters a competitive environment for the private medical sector, enabling them to contribute effectively to expanding the reach of comprehensive health coverage for all Egyptians.
The Egyptian government is collaborating with the private medical sector to establish fair and incentivizing prices for healthcare services under the Universal Health Insurance system. Representatives from the private sector actively participate in setting and regularly updating these prices through their membership in the Permanent Committee for Pricing Medical Services. The Universal Health Insurance program encompasses approximately 3,000 medical services for beneficiaries, which are continuously modernized in alignment with the latest scientific advancements. This commitment to achieving the highest quality standards aligns with the overarching goal of ensuring the utmost satisfaction among citizens.
The Minister, Chairman of the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance, directed that the provision of universal health insurance services to citizens be continuously monitored to ensure that they are provided to the fullest extent, including ensuring that beneficiaries receive the necessary healthcare and have access to medications.
In a discussion session on “Financial Sustainability of Care Providers” in Switzerland, with the presence of a group of international experts and specialists in the field of public health, primary health care, and insurance-based health coverage, Mai Farid, Acting Executive Director of Universal Health Insurance, presented the Egyptian experience in implementing the universal health insurance system, and the importance of maintaining financial sustainability in order to expand to other governorates, which we have taken into account from the beginning by diversifying funding sources, with a focus on safe investment. She pointed out that the separation between the entities of “funding and management”, “health accreditation and control”, and “service delivery” ensures the success of the new system, and its ability to provide healthcare in a sustainable manner.
