INTEGRATING RESPONSES TO INEQUALITIES AND DISEASE BURDENS 8.4
By Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, minister of health and population, Egypt
older individuals and aged populations who often have multiple chronic and complex health conditions, which necessitate more frequent and costly interventions. As a result, there will be increased demand for healthcare services and resources, while a decrease in qualified health workers and caregivers is anticipated. Growing elderly populations strain healthcare resources, and call for necessary changes in healthcare policies and practices. 21ST-CENTURY SYSTEMS In addition, healthcare systems in the 21st century confront a range of critical challenges, including financing, recruitment and retention, and digitalisation. Financing is a major concern due to the escalating healthcare costs that outpace economic growth. There is a significant discrepancy between rising demand and limited access to quality services. Providing universal coverage and delivering quality care become arduous tasks for many countries. Equally important is the issue of recruitment and retention: there exists a shortage of competent and motivated health professionals, particularly in rural and remote regions. Moreover, burnout, stress and low morale plague numerous practitioners in the field. And digitalisation poses yet another challenge that necessitates investment in new technologies, data systems and cybersecurity measures. These advances are crucial for enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and patient outcomes, while adapting to evolving consumer expectations as well as regulatory frameworks. To tackle these challenges effectively, development goals have served as the inspiration for nearly 100 global health initiatives over the past two decades. These initiatives involve public-private partnerships and international cooperation among governments, international organisations and civil society. Their objective is to combat the spread of diseases, enhance healthcare systems, address imbalances and expedite progress towards achieving those goals. In recent years, Egypt has achieved significant progress in its healthcare system. It has been actively working
Struggling to heal: Egypt’s health
O ne common fundamental principle that drives healthcare systems globally is the aim to offer affordable and high-quality health care. However, providing this access has become increasingly difficult due to various factors, including the evolving nature of disease epidemiology, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, population ageing, and the rising costs associated with innovative diagnoses and treatments. Healthcare systems are faced with delivering optimal care while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of their systems. The challenges have become more intense due to Covid-19, which has escalated the difficulties faced by governments and healthcare systems. They have had to allocate substantial resources to combating the pandemic, leading to gaps in providing vital healthcare services for other diseases. Numerous diseases that were already high priorities have suffered from neglect, inadequate funding and insufficient supplies as a result of the pandemic. Consequently, the health workforce has been overwhelmed while trying to address these neglected diseases. Now is a moment to reflect on the lessons learned from the pandemic and to look to the future challenges that may affect vulnerable groups, particularly
initiatives in the face of health burdens Despite numerous health burdens, many of which intensified due to Covid-19, Egypt is dedicated to improving its healthcare system – and it has made progress in modernisation, quality, access and reach
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Health: A Political Choice – From Fragmentation to Integration
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