In most countries, a mix of public and private organizations deliver health-related services.
The private health sector plays a major role in the financing and provision of care in low- and middle-income countries and is considered to be an untapped resource in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). If the private sector was properly regulated and managed, significant improvements in service delivery could result.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the private health sector is very active, providing both ambulatory, hospital and medical educational services. It is also heavily involved in infrastructure development, as well as the production and supply of health technologies.
In the Region, it is estimated that the private health sector is responsible for 33–86% outpatient services; 11–81% of services delivered to the poorest quintile; and over 60% of pharmacies are owned by the private health sector.
The private health sector has grown rapidly but this growth has occurred with minimum policy direction and little involvement in public health sector planning. Information about the types and quality of private health services is also insufficient. The regulatory mechanisms are either weak or non-existent and reporting to national health management information systems is unsatisfactory.
The UHC service coverage index in 2017 showed that around 50% of the population of the Region do not have coverage by essential health services. Engaging with the private health sector is essential to realise the goals and objectives of UHC. This is particularly important in countries where government spending on health is low and in countries experiencing emergencies.
Private sector assessment has thus been deemed as a prerequisite for regulation of, and partnership with, the private sector, and it is against this background that systematic mapping of the private health sector is taking place in some Member States of the Region.
Related links
Private sector engagement for advancing universal health coverage