The Hieroglyphs of Health

Understanding the Private Healthcare Landscape in Egypt: Key Metrics for Policymakers

In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Egypt, the private healthcare sector plays a significant role in providing healthcare services to diverse socio-economic groups. However, understanding the scale and scope of this sector has been a challenge for policymakers due to its extensive and heterogeneous nature. A 2016 Lancet report proposes a set of metrics to help policymakers better grasp the dynamics of private provision within mixed health systems, offering valuable insights for Egypt's healthcare efforts towards private sector engagement.

Firstly, the proposed metrics include examining the extent and pattern of private finance within total health expenditure. This metric sheds light on how much private expenditure contributes to healthcare funding, encompassing out-of-pocket spending and private insurer contributions. Understanding this aspect is crucial for policymakers to gauge the funding sources of healthcare providers, both licensed and unlicensed, within the private sector.

Secondly, the share of the private sector in primary and secondary healthcare episodes is assessed. This metric utilizes household surveys and facility surveys to understand the utilization of different types of healthcare facilities. By focusing on utilization rather than capacity measures, policymakers can better understand the weight of the private sector in healthcare delivery, thereby informing decisions on resource allocation and service provision.

Lastly, the extent of public sector facilities' reliance on out-of-pocket fees and charges is examined. This metric highlights the degree of commercialization within public healthcare provision, which influences the market context for private sector providers. By understanding the extent to which public sector charging impacts healthcare accessibility and quality, policymakers can devise strategies to ensure equitable access to healthcare services for all segments of the population.

These proposed metrics offer a valuable starting point for policymakers in Egypt to understand the complexities of the private healthcare sector within the broader context of the country's mixed health system. By leveraging these metrics, policymakers can devise more effective interventions towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and improving healthcare accessibility and quality for all Egyptians. Ultimately, a better understanding of the dynamics of private provision within mixed health systems will contribute to building more robust and inclusive health systems in Egypt and other LMICs.