Health Care Forum: Discussion session entitled "Balancing health, finance and sustainability"
During the activities of the sixth annual international forum of the General Authority for Health Care, which was launched today under the patronage and presence of the Prime Minister, and in the presence of the Advisor to the President of the Republic for Health and Prevention Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Al-Sabki, Chairman of the General Authority for Health Care and General Supervisor of the Comprehensive Health Insurance Project, opened a high-level discussion session entitled: “The tripartite balance between health, financing, and sustainability: building stable and sustainable health systems for the future,” with the participation of an elite group of health care leaders in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa and around The world.
Dr. Mohamed Awad Taj El-Din, Advisor to the President of the Republic for Health and Prevention Affairs, explained during his speech that linking health policies and financial sustainability represents a fundamental foundation for ensuring the ability of health systems to develop without additional burdens on citizens. He stressed that developing effective policies requires a balanced vision that accommodates the needs of citizens and ensures the optimal use of resources, thus enhancing the building of a health system capable of withstanding and adapting to health and economic challenges.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Sabki stressed in his opening speech to the session that the sustainability of health financing is the basic foundation for ensuring the quality of services and the continuity of comprehensive health coverage, stressing the importance of linking financial innovation and rational health policies, in a way that enhances the ability of the comprehensive health insurance system to continuously develop and respond to the requirements of health development in Egypt.
While Bakish Aaron Mtsoaledi, Minister of Health of South Africa, delivered a speech at the beginning of the session in which he stressed that international cooperation and the exchange of experiences represent a strategic pillar in building resilient health systems capable of adapting to health and economic shocks, stressing that strengthening cross-border partnerships with international institutions and the private sector has become a critical element in developing health financing models, improving spending efficiency, and reducing inequality gaps in access to services, noting that investing in capacity building, developing health governance and regional integration is no longer an option but a necessity. To ensure the sustainability of health systems, and that countries that invest best in international cooperation are more capable of protecting their people and achieving universal health coverage.
He pointed out that the Egyptian experience in comprehensive health insurance reflects a successful model that combines social justice and financing efficiency through clear policies based on governance and digital transformation, and stressed that enhancing financial efficiency and quality of services represents the way to ensure the sustainability of the health system and raise its ability to respond to future changes and constantly meet the needs of citizens.
Stephane Guempert, Regional Director of the World Bank for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti, reviewed the role of international partnerships and expanding the financial space for health, stressing that health sustainability requires innovative financing models, including partnerships between the public and private sectors, results-based financing, and employing financial tools that enhance governance and operational efficiency within health institutions. He pointed out that countries that succeed in integrating these methods into their health policies are more capable of improving the quality of services, ensuring continuity, and enhancing the readiness of health systems for challenges. The future.
Dr. Daniel Mwai, Presidential Health Advisor in Kenya, also reviewed his country’s experience in developing the health financing system, explaining the importance of adopting models to organize contributions to support irregular groups in a way that enhances financial inclusion without burdening the system with unsustainable burdens. He stressed the need to link financing funds to ensure continuity of health care from the primary care level all the way to advanced hospitals, in a way that enhances the integration of services and the quality of health outcomes for citizens.
Dr. Muhammad bin Khalid Al-Abdali, Assistant Minister of Health for Health Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, also spoke during the session about the Saudi health transformation reforms, focusing on separating the role of the Ministry from the unified purchaser of health financing. He explained that this model aims to enhance accountability and improve the quality of health services, and push service providers towards providing real value in exchange for the allocated financing. He also explained the mechanisms for adjusting payments according to the level of risk to ensure fair and sustainable financing, stressing that this method contributes to achieving greater efficiency of the health system and ensuring the continuous and reliable provision of high-quality health services to all citizens. Sustainable.
While Dr. Risto Mihtonen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Actor Consiliaris, and former President of the International Hospital Federation, reviewed the best global practices in financing hospitals, stressing that the real success of health systems is linked to their ability to integrate hospitals into primary care networks, and to rely on payment methods based on the actual value of the service provided, He explained that these models contribute to reducing unnecessary use of advanced services, raising spending efficiency, and achieving better health outcomes for citizens, noting that the integration of hospitals with primary care facilities is an essential element to ensure the sustainability and quality of the health system in the long term.
While Dr. Sameh Al-Saharti, an international expert in health policies at the World Bank and director of the high-level discussion session, concluded by emphasizing that the balance between health, financing, and sustainability constitutes the basic equation for the future of health systems, stressing that the exchange of experiences between African countries and the Arab world represents a strategic opportunity to accelerate health reform paths, enhance the systems’ ability to adapt to current and future challenges, and apply the best international practices to raise the efficiency of services and achieve long-term sustainability for health systems.
It is worth noting that the sixth annual international forum of the General Authority for Health Care was launched, coinciding with the 6th anniversary of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s launch of the comprehensive health insurance system in Port Said Governorate on November 26, 2019. The forum is being held this year under the patronage and presence of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, under the slogan “From Vision to Expansion: We Raise Health Care to International Standards,” over the course of two days. November 26 and 27, 2025 in the New Capital.
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