Strengthening Egypt's healthcare system through technology assessment
Case study
In a nation of over 107 million people, the Egyptian government’s commitment to achieving universal health coverage by 2032 marks an ambition to transform the way healthcare is delivered. Egypt has taken a crucial step towards a fairer, more efficient healthcare system by partnering with NICE International to prepare for the implementation of health technology assessment. Their aim is to ensure finite healthcare resources achieve the greatest possible improvements in population health.
“This is an exciting collaboration. It’s great to see the progress Egypt is making to implement health technology assessment. This important work will help balance best care with value for money, delivering both for individual patients and Egyptian society as a whole.”
Our Egyptian partner
The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, Medical Supply and the Management of Medical Technology (UPA) is an integral part of the country’s healthcare system. Established in 2019, it supports the efficient allocation of resources through strategic procurement.
In October 2021, NICE International began working with UPA, supporting their efforts to embed technology assessment in healthcare decision making. This important work is funded by the UK government's Department of Business and Trade as part of its commitment to international healthcare partnerships and supported by the World Health Organization.
Sharing our knowledge and expertise
NICE International adopted a comprehensive approach that began with understanding Egypt's healthcare landscape and vision. Through an initial scoping exercise and situational analysis, they identified both opportunities and challenges - particularly noting strong stakeholder buy-in but limited specialist capacity.
The collaboration expanded to include knowledge exchange across multiple Egyptian healthcare agencies including the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, the Egyptian Drug Authority, and the Universal Health Insurance Authority. NICE International provided expert knowledge on crucial aspects of health technology assessment - from real-world data and resource impact assessments, to treatment comparators and managed access agreements.
Pilar Pinilla Dominguez, associate director of NICE International, speaking about our Egyptian partnership at Africa Health ExCon 2022
Pilar Pinilla Dominguez, associate director of NICE International, speaking about our Egyptian partnership at Africa Health ExCon 2022
Two significant initiatives strengthened the partnership. First, a high-level roundtable in Cairo convened by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population brought together key healthcare agencies to build consensus on health technology assessment's strategic importance. The UPA, Egyptian Drug Authority and Universal Health Insurance Authority were among the important stakeholders in attendance. Second, a knowledge exchange visit to the UK enabled Egyptian officials to gain practical insights into key aspects of NICE’s approach to health technology assessment, including horizon scanning, topic prioritisation, and the evaluation of healthtech products.
The Egyptian delegation's UK visit included workshops led by NICE and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
The Egyptian delegation's UK visit included workshops led by NICE and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
“Egyptian healthcare agencies, working in partnership with NICE International, are laying the foundation for a robust, data-driven approach to health system reform that will serve as a model for the region.”
From partnership to progress – impact and achievements
The joint working between NICE International and UPA has delivered substantial progress towards embedding health technology assessment.
"Partnering on this journey brings us closer to embedding health technology assessment into Egypt’s healthcare system turning shared vision into lasting impact."
Key achievements include:
- Formation of a dedicated health technology assessment forum bringing together relevant Egyptian organisations to advance this work nationally.
- Development of UPA's first health technology assessment process guide.
- Development of critical appraisal capabilities, with UPA now evaluating evidence submissions with quality assurance support from NICE International.
- Creation of a collaborative process flow between UPA and other healthcare agencies, establishing clear pathways for technology evaluation.
- Piloting a horizon scanning process to identify emerging health technologies early, enabling proactive planning and decision making.
- Documentation of this significant work in a joint NICE-UPA journal article on institutionalising health technology assessment in Egypt.
The British Embassy in Cairo has provided vital diplomatic and logistical support throughout the project, helping to facilitate engagement with key stakeholders across Egypt's healthcare sector. The embassy’s involvement has strengthened diplomatic relations between the 2 countries, demonstrating how healthcare collaboration can build international partnerships while improving healthcare systems.
NICE International supports countries to improve their own nation’s health and wellbeing. It does this by sharing best practice and helping to drive improvements in evidence-based decision making.
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