Published Nov 6, 2023

Caroline Daccache¹, Rita Karam², Mahmoud Elmahdawy³, Kasem Akhras⁴

¹ Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI),

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

² Quality Assurance of Pharmaceutical Products Program of Ministry of Public Health and

  Professor of Faculty of Sciences and Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

³ ISPOR Egypt Chapter, President

⁴ New Products, Business Development & Licensing, Novartis Gene Therapies, Chicago, USA

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are facing different challenges in their healthcare systems altering access to care in the short and long term. Focusing on improving the performance of the MENA health systems, the ISPOR Arabic Network employed a mixed-methods research approach, qualitative and quantitative. This research aims to support the region by providing insights into priorities shaping the emerging trends from payers’ and policymakers’ perspectives.

This ISPOR Arabic Network project involved ISPOR Chapters in the MENA by engaging participants from governmental and/or semi-governmental bodies responsible for pharmaceutical assessment for pricing and reimbursement decisions in four countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia). In ranking the top disease areas driving the trends in the MENA, oncology, cardiology, and endocrinology were reported as the top three disease areas. Rheumatology/immunology, infectious, and renal diseases ranked high as well. Disease prevalence and medical and pharmacy budgets are the key drivers for the ranking by respondents. Consequently, healthcare providers might focus on developing products and services that assist MENA payers and policymakers for better healthcare access.

Our empirical findings showed that the Health Data and the Health Technology Assessment were the most selected trends, followed by Healthcare Financing, the demand for New Financing Models, Public Health, and the Value Assessment. This is a significant step in achieving comprehensive health reform with the collaboration of various stakeholders.

This work represents an initiative toward providing a regional data source required to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem in the MENA region.

As we continue our research, we will gather additional data from other countries, and seek input from targeted academics who possess valuable insights due to their proximity to policymakers in certain cases. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a robust regional data source, essential for fortifying the healthcare ecosystem in the MENA region.

This research will be presented during the ISPOR Europe 2023 Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. To view the research abstract, visit here.