Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, has reviewed the Ministry of Health and Population's efforts to implement evidence-based interventions and initiatives. He highlighted the significant success of the Presidential Initiative to Eliminate Hepatitis C, which screened over 63 million citizens and treated more than 4 million patients. The initiative not only saved approximately EGP 16bn in direct medical costs through early detection and treatment but also prevented an estimated EGP 6.9bn in productivity losses by reducing premature deaths from liver disease among those under 60. Speaking at the 7th Annual ISPOR Egypt Chapter conference, Abdel Ghaffar underscored the conference's growing importance in utilizing economic principles to enhance healthcare systems and social security in the Arab world. "The Hepatitis C initiative has become a unique model, delivering high health value at a minimal cost and reshaping Egypt's healthcare priorities to evaluate similar interventions," Abdel Ghaffar remarked. Abdel Ghaffar highlighted President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's commitment to citizens' health and efforts to reduce the economic burdens on Egyptian families. He emphasized that financial investment alone cannot resolve all healthcare challenges, citing World Health Organization data that estimates 20–40% of global health expenditures are lost to waste and inefficiency. He stressed the importance of ensuring financial resources are used transparently and effectively to deliver higher-quality services, particularly for vulnerable populations. "In an efficient health system, more patients are treated, coverage is expanded, and no one is left without care," Abdel Ghaffar stated. He called for policymakers to adopt robust measurement tools to ensure efficiency and improve outcomes across the healthcare system. The Minister highlighted the critical role of health economics in achieving financial sustainability, optimizing health spending, and ensuring access to universal healthcare. He praised the ESPOR conference for fostering discussions on successful models and international experiences in this field. The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized the government's strategic focus on health economics and its commitment to sustainable healthcare development. The recently launched National Health Strategy 2024–2030 outlines projections for government health spending over the next five years, explores scenarios for increased allocations, and prioritizes prevention as a key component of total healthcare expenditure.
