UAE healthcare spending jumps to 5.67% of country’s GDP – News

Pharmacy camp aims to raise awareness of opportunities among students

Total healthcare spending in the Middle East and Africa grew at a much higher rate (42%) to $279 billion due to lack of awareness about health issues, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Increasing public awareness of health issues, common diseases and changing lifestyle habits can help reduce total global healthcare spending, which reached $10.06 trillion last year and is growing at a rate of 30% worldwide. That’s about one-tenth of last year’s global gross domestic product (GDP) of $101.6 trillion.

Healthcare spending in the UAE jumped to 5.67% of the country’s GDP in 2020 from 4.3% in 2019, according to the World Bank. Alpen Capital’s latest report on healthcare in the GCC shows that healthcare spending among UAE residents will grow by nearly a third in the next few years due to an aging population and increasing numbers of people suffering from lifestyle diseases, the report shows In 2020, the UAE spent $1,992.1 (AED7,300) on healthcare per capita, ranking second among the GCC countries.

Healthcare spending in the country is expected to outpace the GCC countries at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%, from $21.5 billion in 2022 to $30.7 billion in 2027. According to the International Monetary Fund, the UAE’s population base is expected to grow to $30.7 billion by 2027. CAGR of 1.6% from 2022 to 2027. As a result, per capita healthcare spending is projected to grow from $2,041.3 in 2022 to $2,689.4 in 2027, the report found.

Healthcare spending in the GCC is expected to reach $104.6 billion by 2022, while government spending in the area is expected to hit $30.5 billion in 2021, up from $2.4 billion in 2016, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy .

“More consultation with pharmacists can help reduce healthcare costs and greatly improve the well-being of residents in the UAE,” Professor Saeed Ahmed Khan, Dean of Dubai Women’s College of Pharmacy, told Khaleej Times. “Pharmacists can help patients through better medicines.” faster recovery, our pharmacists are better equipped to respond to any epidemic or outbreak of any disease. They have proven during the Covid-19 pandemic that the UAE has one of the lowest casualty rates and has recovered very well Very quickly, thanks to the UAE healthcare system and our doctors and pharmacists.”

According to the Alpen Capital report, the region has more than 742 hospitals with more than 106,693 beds, as well as a large number of primary care centers, clinics and laboratories, and there is no end in sight for expansion. With some 161 healthcare projects worth $53.2 billion in the GCC region, Alpen Capital said, the scale of healthcare services in the region is poised to expand further.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of healthcare projects under construction at 19.2%. In October 2022, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health announced that 100 projects will be approved over the next five years, which will be carried out in partnership with the private sector. The deals are worth about 48 billion Saudi riyals ($12.8 billion).

According to a Colliers International research report, Saudi Arabia will need an additional 29,000 to 47,000 hospital beds by 2030, requiring an additional investment of US$16.2 billion to US$26.3 billion, much of it from the private sector. The Saudi Ministry of Health aims to increase the private sector’s contribution to the healthcare system, one of its long-term investment priorities, from 25 percent to 35 percent by 2030.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of healthcare projects under construction at 19.2%, followed by Kuwait at 14% and the UAE at 11.5%.

To address these issues and deepen understanding of health risks and solutions, Dubai School of Pharmacy for Women has launched a five-day summer camp, which includes a series of intensive seminars and workshops to expose students to different aspects of health risks. Medical and pharmaceutical related education. During the summer camp for girls in Years 11 and 12, participating students will gain first-hand knowledge of the industry, including how medicines are prepared, how they work on health, possible remedies for certain health problems, the use of herbs and natural medicines Benefits, beauty, cosmetics, and more will conclude with a certificate presentation ceremony.

Faculty at Dubai Women’s Pharmacy School are reputed experts who train students during the summer camp. Students will learn healthcare communication skills, pharmacy – cosmetic preparations such as lipsticks and body lotions, compounding and pharmaceutical preparations – mouthwashes, lozenges, medicinal chemistry – using instrumentation to perform exciting laboratory experiments. Natural Products Activities – Testing for Purity (Honey, Olive Oil and Perfume) Clinical Pharmacy – Using Model Pharmacies for Drug Dispensing Activities, Drug Safety Using Different Home Testing Kits and Equipment, and Clinical and Communication Skills.

Professor Khan said the camp was designed to inspire high school girls to explore pharmacy as a career option. He dispels the myth that pharmacists are limited to dispensing medicines at community pharmacies, explaining that pharmacists are the medicine experts on the healthcare team. “Pharmacists work in a variety of settings, including community pharmacies, long-term care facilities, hospitals, clinics, research laboratories, and the medical and pharmaceutical industries. In many European countries, the United States, and the Middle Opportunities and work-life balance consistently rank high. The demand for trained pharmacists continues to grow, especially for women,” he added.