Egypt, Italy's GKSD explore healthcare investment, medical education partnership
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, according to a statement from Egypt's Ministry of Health.
The Health Ministry's spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar stated that discussions focused on the establishment of a state-of-the-art hospital built to international standards, as well as the creation of a global medical university in Egypt to advance both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
The two parties also explored investment opportunities in healthcare infrastructure, medical and nursing training, and collaboration on European medical fellowship programs to support continuous professional development. Plans were also discussed for launching research and innovation centers to drive scientific advancement in the healthcare sector.
Cooperation in digital health was another key focus, including initiatives in telemedicine, health information technology, and the implementation of electronic medical records. The agenda also addressed joint efforts in public health, with an emphasis on the prevention and management of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The proposed partnership aligns with Egypt's national strategy to modernize healthcare services, attract foreign direct investment, and leverage international expertise to enhance the quality and reach of medical care across the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
9 minutes ago
- The National
Abu Dhabi anti-smoking programmes do not only save lives - they also save fortunes, study suggests
Programmes helping people to quit smoking in Abu Dhabi can save billions of dirhams that would otherwise be lost because of treatment costs and reduced productivity, a study has found. The amounts that they save are more than 16 times as much as the cost of the schemes, the analysis by researchers at UAE University has shown. The large-scale savings suggested in the study come even when the smoking cessation measures are assumed to help just 7.5 per cent of people, or fewer than one in 13, to quit. 'This economic analysis presents robust evidence indicating that the return on investment ratio associated with smoking cessation programmes in Abu Dhabi is considerably favourable,' the researchers wrote. The study estimated the total savings from the prevention of cases of asthma, cerebrovascular disease (conditions that affect blood flow to the brain and can result in strokes), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, lower respiratory infections and lung and other cancers. The authors, based at UAE University, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and The Golden Helix Foundation, a London-based charity that supports medical research, calculated the potential annual savings per condition that result from smoking cessation programmes, and multiplied this by the expected lifespan of the patient. Looking at programmes being provided to a 'target population' of 268,869 smokers in Abu Dhabi, it calculated that if Dh539.7 million is spent on quitting programmes, the savings, added over the lifetime of the patients involved, will be Dh8.89 billion, resulting in a net benefit of Dh8.35 billion. This represents a return on investment – the ratio of the benefit gained compared to the amount spent – of 16.48. A report last year showed there was urgent need to reduce smoking levels in the region. Data published last year by the World Health Organisation forecasts tobacco-related deaths to increase over the coming decades, including cases of lung and oral cancer, lung condition COPD, heart disease and strokes, unless action is taken. The study looked at the impact of smoking across seven nations – Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Of the 390 million people living in the region, about 61 million adults use tobacco. About 384,000 die prematurely each year as a result. Bigger picture Dr Bassam Mahboub, a pulmonologist and head of the Emirates Respiratory and Allergy Society, who was not connected to the study, said that smoking cessation programmes offered short and long-term health benefits. 'In the short term it will prevent the asthma attacks, the COPD attacks and it will reduce the cost on the patient,' he said. 'In the long term it will prevent the complications from smoking, which is all the cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases like diabetes and hyperlipidaemia and the cardiovascular risk and finally all kinds of cancers from mouth cancers all the way to respiratory cancers and lung cancers.' Dr Mahboub told The National that in the previous week alone he had seen three young people who had been keen to stop smoking. 'First and the most important intervention is the willingness,' he said. 'Then you have to replace the nicotine. Then after that you can talk about something else like antidepressants.' He said that with older patients, doctors often highlight the risk of cardiac disease and cancers, while with younger patients, messaging centres on issues such as the smell caused by smoking, mouth infections, coughing and limitations on exercise. One factor that may limit investments in smoking cessation schemes is, the study authors suggest, the fact that the monetary savings they result in are not immediate. Long-term investment 'While the financial and public health benefits, such as reduced healthcare expenditures and increased productivity, will accrue gradually over time, the initial investment in cessation initiatives requires immediate allocation of resources,' they wrote. 'This discrepancy presents a policy challenge, as decision-makers must navigate short-term fiscal constraints while ensuring long-term societal gains.' Dr Rachel Kaminski, a pulmonologist who has helped established a smoking cessation programme at Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, said that the study highlighted the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation. There is, she said, 'a massive unmet need' with smoking cessation, treatments and clinics. She said that patients who came off cigarettes or vapes did not just see improvements in their respiratory or cardiovascular health, but in their general health, with fewer work days missed and lower mortality. 'I know myself that if I've managed to get my patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma to stop smoking, their outcomes instantly improve,' she said. At the smoking cessation clinics Dr Kaminski is involved with, patients receive nicotine replacement treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy and support therapy. 'We know that our patients with chronic diseases, cardiovascular diabetes and respiratory diseases benefit the most from this,' she said. Dr Mohammed Harriss, a consultant pulmonologist at Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital in Dubai, said that the study suggested that smoking-cessation programmes in Abu Dhabi 'generate significantly more financial savings than their costs'. He said that when patients stopped smoking, they often have fewer flare-ups and hospital visits, reducing the pressure on resources. 'Seeing the financial benefits alongside the health improvements makes a strong case for giving smoking cessation a higher priority within pulmonology services,' he said. A combination of medication to manage cravings, and behavioural support, which helps patients change habits, s most effective, according to Dr Harriss. 'This approach isn't difficult to scale in a hospital setting especially when brief advice, referral pathways, and trained staff are built into routine care. Even small interventions during appointments can go a long way,' he said. Digital platforms and telehealth can support patients outside the hospital, Dr Harriss said, making reminders and follow-up easier and helping patients to stay on track.
Zawya
20 hours ago
- Zawya
Oman: MoH-OMIFCO sign agreement to provide home ventilators for low-income patients
Muscat – The Ministry of Health today signed a financing agreement with the Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO) to purchase ventilators for low-income and social security patients for the sixth consecutive time. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Health by Saud bin Amer al Nazairi, Director General of Financial Affairs, and on behalf of the Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO) by Khalid bin Mohammed al Fannah al Arimi, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Communications. Saud bin Amer al Nazairi emphasised the importance of partnerships between the government sector and other sectors in the Sultanate of Oman to serve the public interest, praising the company's generous initiative to finance the purchase of home respirators for low-income and social security groups for the sixth consecutive time. He added that the agreement aims to reduce patients' hospital stays, reduce the economic cost to the Ministry of Health, reduce patients' exposure to hospital-acquired infections due to their longer stays, allow for the hospitalisation of other patients, and reduce social pressure on the patient's family. He pointed out that the draft agreement stems from a strategic partnership to achieve the public good of society and advance community services and development projects of public benefit. Home ventilators play a vital role in improving the quality of life for patients with chronic or acute respiratory problems. Their importance is especially important for those who require continuous or long-term respiratory support outside the hospital, as they support breathing in certain chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, respiratory muscle weakness, and sleep apnea. These devices help reduce the need for hospitalisation, improve the quality of life for patients who need them, and enable better monitoring and control of their health. They are an essential part of some home care programs and provide a safe and sustainable option for some patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation outside the hospital. Home ventilators are not just a medical aid; they are an essential component of many patients' lives, providing them with safety, comfort, and independence, and are a cost-effective option compared to prolonged hospital care. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Berkshire invests in UnitedHealth, trims Apple stake
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed on Thursday a new investment in UnitedHealth Group after the insurer became a target for many Americans upset over the direction of the nation's healthcare. Berkshire said it owned 5.04 million UnitedHealth shares worth about $1.57 billion as of June 30. The disclosure came in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing detailing Berkshire's U.S.-listed common stock holdings as of June 30. UnitedHealth shares soared 8.5% in after-hours trading. Buffett's conglomerate also said it sold 20 million shares of iPhone maker Apple in the second quarter, reducing its largest stock holding to 280 million shares, and cut back another major holding, Bank of America. Berkshire also boosted its bet on home builders, revealing a new stake in DR Horton and significantly larger stake in Lennar. The filing also disclosed new Berkshire investments in security products provider Allegion, outdoor advertiser Lamar Advertising and steel maker Nucor It is not clear whether Buffett, his portfolio managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, or future Chief Executive Greg Abel are behind individual purchases and sales. But stock prices often rise when Berkshire makes purchases because investors view them as a seal of approval from Buffett. DR Horton, Lennar, Allegion, Lamar and Nucor also rose in after-hours trading. TAPEWORM Shares of UnitedHealth, part of the Dow Jones industrial average, had through Thursday fallen 46% this year amid rising costs, a U.S. Department of Justice probe related to its billing practices, a cyberattack, and the shooting death of former top executive Brian Thompson last December. Buffett has called high health care costs a "tapeworm" that limits economic growth, and with JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon and Jeff Bezos tried unsuccessfully to improve healthcare for their companies' employees. Their joint venture, Haven, shut down after three years in 2021. UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Berkshire's investment. The Apple sales, Berkshire's first since the third quarter of 2024, further reduced what was once a 905 million share stake, but do not signal a full-blown retreat from the stock. Apple shares were little changed after hours. Despite the new purchases, Berkshire sold $3 billion more stocks than it bought between April and June, the 11th straight quarter it was a net seller of stocks. It ended June with $344.1 billion of cash and equivalents. Other changes in Thursday's filing included larger stakes in oil company Chevron, alcoholic beverages maker Constellation Brands and Domino's Pizza, and exiting a stake in wireless network operator T-Mobile. Berkshire also revealed it had been buying DR Horton, Lennar and Nucor stock before April, but the SEC let it keep the purchases confidential so investors would not try to piggyback. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Berkshire also owns close to 200 businesses including Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad, and many energy, industrial, retail and service companies. Buffett turns 95 on August 30. He is expected to remain Berkshire's chairman after Abel, 63, becomes chief executive on January 1, 2026. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang and Stephen Coates)
