Introduction

As we passed halfway to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is still off-track to achieve Goal 3: "To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." It is a challenge to be back on the right track given that one billion persons in the developing countries are suffering from personal healthcare (PHC) expenditure’s deficit. This pushes hundreds of millions of people into a spiral of extreme poverty, according to the World Health Organization, especially with the world population reaching about 8.05 billion in July 2023.

It is worth noting that the ability to achieve the objectives related to the health goal both affects and is affected by the ability of countries to globally achieve other sustainable development goals. Most notably achieving the goals related to the extermination of poverty, the elimination of hunger, availing high quality education, achieving gender equality, providing decent work opportunities, achieving economic growth, reducing inequalities within and between countries, in addition to attaining the goals related to the environmental and climate actions.

Given the national and global interest in health issues related to sustainable development and sustainable human development, the Institute of National Planning (INP) in collaboration with the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University is embracing the issue of “Health and Sustainable Development” to be the focus of its international conference for this year.

 Conference Objectives

1. Launching the discussion of the developments in the relation between health, national and UN sustainable development goals, considering its three economic, social and environmental dimensions. In addition to discussing the role played by governance systems and mechanisms in this context, both conceptually and empirically, through analyzing the findings of the international experiences and case studies.
2. Examining the most significant challenges facing the healthcare systems in various countries, considering the legislative, planning, financial, institutional, technological, and human resources challenges. In addition to analyzing the challenges related to governance, quality, measuring performance and social impact, and their relation to the outputs of the healthcare system and the ability to achieve the sustainable development goals.
3. Reviewing and analyzing the most prominent international and regional experiences and practices in the areas of planning, financing, managing and governing healthcare systems.
4. Evaluating the main roles in the healthcare sector, specifically the roles played by the state, private sector, universities, research institutions, civil society, and foreign engagement, in healthcare sector’s management, financing, investment, education, research and development, quality control, and governance. In addition to the role these entities play in the production of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
5. Analyzing the status of the Egyptian healthcare sector and its relation to sustainable development and social welfare. In addition to evaluating the relation between healthcare system and the population issues, reproductive health, social protection, and social justice in Egypt. The conference also aims at analyzing the most persisting challenges facing the Egyptian healthcare sector and discussing possible solutions to these challenges.
6. Deducing alternative policies and measures that enhance and support the sustainability, efficiency, and flexibility of healthcare systems, based on assessing the current status and reviewing the relevant international experiences in the healthcare sector. These policies encompass several dimensions, including the legislative, institutional, financing, and technological aspects that support the healthcare sector.

Conference Themes

 The research papers that will be presented at the conference and its panel discussions address a range of topics and issues on the relationship between health and the various dimensions of sustainable development. These topics are addressed by reviewing global and regional experiences and expertise, as well as the status of the Egyptian health sector. Moreover, the conference sessions will discuss the various mechanisms of governance and their multiple applications in the health sector, to enhance sustainable development. These mechanisms can be related to combating corruption, enforcing the rule of law, as well as ensuring transparency, accountability, community participation, justice, legislative and regulatory quality, and government effectiveness. The research methodologies and approaches adopted in the research papers participating in the conference may vary. While some of these papers might focus on the theoretical and conceptual framework of the relationship between health and sustainable development, others would apply quantitative analysis to measure this relationship.

Accordingly, the topics presented at the conference are classified into four main themes, each will discuss a range of issues as follows:

First Theme: Role of Health in Supporting Sustainable Development – Methodological Issues and International Experiences

1. The relationship between health and sustainable development in empirical studies: conceptual and methodological issues.
2. The relationship between health, poverty and social justice.
3. Healthcare spending and economic growth.
4. Investing in women’s health and its impact on the gender gap.
5. The impact of healthcare investments on educational outcomes.
6. The relationship between healthcare investments, employment and decent work.
7. Application of insights from behavioral economics to improve the outcomes of healthcare system and achieve sustainable development.
8. Health and its relationship to environment and climate change issues.
9. Strategic planning for national healthcare systems.
10. Promoting universal health coverage and building inclusive and equitable health systems.
11. Developing human, institutional, informational, and technological capacities of healthcare systems to support sustainable development.
12. Pharmaceutical manufacturing, and ways to enhance research and innovation in the field of pharmaceutical sciences.
13. Effective international cooperation to support healthcare systems in developing countries.
14. Medical tourism and its impact on economic growth.
15. Applying the “One Health” approach and its impact on sustainable development.

Second Theme: Economics of Health and Healthcare – Health Sector Financing and Investment

1. Financing structures of healthcare systems and their impact on health outputs.
2. Sustainable financing mechanisms for the health sector.
3. Best financing and spending practices to build resilient and innovative health systems.
4. Public-private partnerships for providing and financing health services.
5. Multi-sectoral partnerships in the provision of health services.
6. Prospects and challenges of expanding government spending on the health sector.
7. Role and contribution of the private sector in financing the health sector.
8. Role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society in healthcare financing.
9. Role and priorities of external sources of funding the health sector.
10. Role of the private health insurance in the health sector.
11. Prospects and determinants of health coverage under the comprehensive health insurance system.
12. Mechanisms for strengthening local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical supplies, and the localization of health services.
13. Measuring and assessing the efficiency of healthcare systems and its determinants.
14. Geographical and gender gaps in the distribution of government spending on health.

Third Theme: Governance of Health Sector to Support its Role in Achieving Sustainable Development

1. Restructuring the health sector (i.e., strategic perspective, legislations, active roles of government, private sector, universities, unions, civil society, foreign entities, and others) to promote sustainable development.
2. Determinants, challenges, and approaches to enhancing governance mechanisms and systems in the health sector to support sustainable development (i.e., accreditation and quality; resource management efficiency; performance evaluation and impact assessment):
   • The application of participation, accountability and transparency mechanisms in the health sector and their impact on the health system’s outcomes.
   • Healthcare data governance.
   • Efficiency and effectiveness of the management of physical, human and technological resources in the health sector.
   • Anti-corruption mechanisms in the pharmaceutical, vaccines and medical supplies sector.
   • Monitoring and evaluation systems in the health sector and their role in improving its outputs and outcomes.
   • Mechanisms to ensure equity of health spending and access to healthcare services.
3. The role of applying governance mechanisms in overcoming health system challenges and achieving sustainable development.
4. The impact of institutional reforms implemented in the health sector on improving its efficiency and quality to support sustainable development.
5. Evaluating health technology and its role in improving the efficiency and performance of the healthcare system and enhancing its outcomes to achieve sustainable development:
   • Applications of data science and digital health technologies
   • Artificial intelligence and telemedicine.
6. Ways to enhance the preventive and proactive capacities of health sector to better manage health crises and achieve sustainable development.
7. Enhancing the responsiveness of national health systems in facing the repercussions of climate change.

Fourth Theme: Health and Sustainable Development in Egypt

1. Health coverage under the comprehensive health insurance system in Egypt and its relation to sustainable development.
2. The role of health in promoting inclusive development and supporting social safety nets in Egypt.
3. The role of presidential health initiatives in enhancing health security in Egypt in the short and long terms
4. The role of civil society and unions in providing health services in Egypt and its impact on sustainable development.
5. Priority issues: reproductive health and family planning, mental health, elderly health, and their impact on sustainable development in Egypt.
6. The impact of climate change and food security on health and sustainable development in Egypt.
7. Infectious and non-communicable diseases in Egypt and their impact on sustainable development.
8. Integrating healthcare issues into educational systems and community awareness frameworks and their impact on sustainable development in Egypt.
9. The institutional, human, financing, and technological challenges facing the healthcare system of Egypt and their impact on sustainable development.
10. Investing in health as an approach towards achieving human development and sustainable development in Egypt.
11. Unconventional healthcare financing mechanisms in Egypt.
12. The long-term relationship between healthcare spending, economic growth, and social justice in Egypt.
13. Geographical distribution of healthcare spending in Egypt and its impact on sustainable development.