PUBH6003 Case Study: Analysis of UAE's Public Health System

This case study examines the public health system in the UAE, focusing on health expenditure, innovative financing strategies, and underlying trends influencing healthcare costs. It compares the UAE's healthcare funding with that of Australia and highlights the increasing percentage of GDP allocated to healthcare in the UAE. The study identifies key drivers of expenditure, such as population growth, technology advancements, and price inflation. It further discusses the progress towards universal health coverage in the UAE, the roles of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Ministry of Health in providing healthcare services, and the performance of the UAE's healthcare workforce. The case study concludes by emphasizing the need for continued reforms in research infrastructure and manpower to enhance the UAE's health sector.

Public Health System
in UAE

GDP of UAE on health
 The first and top preference of UAE to create world
class health care infra structure
In 2019, the GDP of UAE is 3.5percent
According to Business Monitor International (BMI),
the 3.4 of the country’s GDP is spent on Health Care.

Comparison of UAE and Australia
GDP 2019 UAE Australia
Total GDP $425billion $1.365 trillion
GDP growth
(increase)
1.8% 1.7%
GDP in Healthcare 5.4% 16.3%

Healthcare Funding
WHO reports about UAE health care system that in last 12 years, the percentage of GDP has
increased by 36%
In Abu Dhabi, health insurance is mandatory for both nationals and expatriates
Some of the sponsors for health care are:
Dubai Health Authority
Health Authority Abu Dhabi
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Defense
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
Other large companies of UAE
Kambris, Khan & Al Falasi, 2019)

Estimation of Expenditure about
Public Health Service
UAE is among the top 40 largest medical device markets in
the world.
In UAE, both regionally and globally, the per capita health
expenditure are increasing.
UAE is a commercial hub in the region
This makes it an attractive location
Medical devices are regulated from UAE, Ministry of Health

Mixture of Public and Private
Service
•World class medical facilities infra structure
•Expanding number of public and private health care companies
•International hub for the global heath care industry
•Largest medical free zone
Dubai Healthcare City (DHC)
•Inaugurated in 2002
•28 private and six public sector hospitals
•15%patients come from Europe to Dubai

Sources of Finance
General Government
(Source)
Private (Source)
Central Ministry of Finance Private Social Insurance
Social Security Out of Pocket
State Firms Funds Non Profit Organizations
Provincial Public Funds Private companies
Local Donors
(Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017)

Innovative healthcare financing in
UAE
• The innovative strategy used for financing healthcare in UAE
are as follows:
• Dubai has made the compulsion of Health Insurance for both
nationals and expatriates which started in 2014.
• Abu Dhabi health System is making efforts to move its system
from curative to preventive services.
• This preventive system of care encourages patient to have
excessive hospital utilization
• Soon, UAE is going to announce obligatory health insurance
for all

Underlying Trends
• There are various trends which can help to give explanation
of expenditure on healthcare in UAE. Here are some of the
trends:
• Net in migration causes population growth
• Exposure to technology
• Expenditures as price inflates
• New diseases

Universal Health Coverage
• It means all the communities receive equal health
facilities without being in financial hardships. it
provides the access of facilities in a better quality
which can improve the health of the people.

Universal health coverage in UAE
According to WHO, without proper facilities, lives of many people are
at risk
UAE not only understand this need rather implementing to provide
maximum people with health coverage
The Al Thiqa plan of Abu Dhabi covers the emirates and residence
Dubai covers over 98% of its population because of health insurance
2% are only those people who are not properly aware of the health
insurance policies.
Government is planning to provide basic coverage to residents of
Emirates, Sharjah and Northern Emirates.
(Edrees et al., 2017)

Better health conditions due to economic levels
Three main systems of health authorities are running in UAE
•Abu Dhabi
•Dubai
•Ministry of Health
These systems are upgraded in past 10 years with the increase in
population and national income
Due to migration, there is unusual high proportion of young people
and working emigrants
This is one of the major factor in achieving a better health outcome.
Total expenditure has increased because of population growth,
technology and price inflation.
(Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017))

UAE’s performance in Healthcare
UAE health workforce has an energetic and fit workforce with a density of
•25.3 physicians
•31.6 nursing
•4.3 dentists
•5.9 pharmacists
For every 1000 people.
Abu Dhabi health Services company (SEHA) operates
•12 hospitals
•11 dialysis center
•62 ambulatory healthcare centers and clinics
•2 blood banks
(Paulo, Loney & Lapão, 2017)

UAE’s performance in Healthcare
•In Abu Dhabi, the number of attendants who has visited the
PHC are 5,034,581 and the publics ones are 2,339,645.
•The ambulatory health care services are responsible for
298 school clinics.
•The CCM is a health education program under SEHA which
transforms the patients with chronic diseases.
(Paulo, Loney & Lapão, 2017)

Difference between Cost- benefit
Analysis and Cost- Effective Analysis
Cost- benefit Analysis Cost- Effective Analysis
Cost benefit analysis help one
to recognize if in the long run,
whether the upcoming or the
new project makes financial
sense for the organization or
not
In Cost- Effective Analysis, two
results are compared to see
which one can provide the best
opportunities for long term
success

Health System Reform
In the last decade, there has been a significant development in
the UAE’s health sector, but the area of improvement is always
there. After emphasizing all the reforms, two of them need to
be made stronger. They fall under the following categories:
 Research
 Infra structure
 Man power
 Shift in Attitudes

BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Edrees, H. H., Ismail, M. N. M., Kelly, B., Goeschel, C. A., Berenholtz, S.
M., Pronovost, P. J., ... & Weaver, S. J. (2017). Examining influences on
speaking up among critical care healthcare providers in the United
Arab Emirates. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 29(7),
948-960.
• Kambris, M. E. K., Khan, S., & Al Falasi, S. N. (2019). Perceptions of
Health and Safety among Workers in the Automotive Repair Industry
in Dubai (United Arab Emirates): A Cross-sectional Exploratory
Study. Journal of Ecophysiology and Occupational Health, 19, 3-4.
• Koornneef, E., Robben, P., & Blair, I. (2017). Progress and outcomes of
health systems reform in the United Arab Emirates: a systematic
review. BMC health services research, 17(1), 672.
• Paulo, M. S., Loney, T., & Lapão, L. V. (2017). The primary health care
in the emirate of Abu Dhabi: are they aligned with the chronic care
model elements?. BMC health services research, 17(1), 725.