Cairo: The Ministry of Health confirmed today, Friday, that more than two and a half million citizens are now covered by the health insurance system. The Ministry indicated that all basic services and healthcare, including maternal and child care, vaccinations, and school health, are fully covered by the ministry, even for citizens not previously covered by insurance.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry stated that Health Minister Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi participated in a dialogue session on strengthening primary healthcare, held as part of the activities of the Third World Conference on Population, Health and Human Development (PHDC25) in Cairo, with the participation of several health ministers, experts, and representatives of international organizations.
The statement added that the session discussed the importance of strengthening primary healthcare systems as the cornerstone for achieving universal health coverage and improving the efficiency of preventive and curative services in communities.
According to the statement, the Minister of Health reviewed "Iraq's experience in developing health services, including primary healthcare," noting that "health services in Iraq were provided at nominal prices, not exceeding one or one and a half dollars in health institutions, even though the cost of some procedures exceeds thousands of dollars."
The Minister stated that "the increased financial burdens, the development of medical technology, the rise in drug prices, and the advancements in the field of health services posed a challenge to the Ministry of Health, which necessitated the implementation of the Health Insurance Law to reduce the financial burden on citizens." He pointed out that "more than two and a half million citizens are now covered by the health insurance system, which in its first phase included Baghdad, in the second phase nine governorates, and the final phase will cover all governorates."
He emphasized that "all basic services and healthcare, including maternal and child care, vaccinations, and school health, are fully covered by the Ministry, even for citizens not covered by health insurance. The government has allocated the necessary funds to ensure the continuity of these services and that they are not affected by the implementation of the new health system."
He added that "the implementation of the health insurance system has contributed to regulating the work of private sector health institutions, strengthening primary healthcare, and increasing the number of family physicians through specific criteria, thus contributing to raising the quality of health services and expanding community care programs in line with national sustainable development plans."
The Minister also noted "Iraq's keenness to enhance regional and international cooperation in the field of developing health services and to benefit from successful experiences to strengthen the health system and improve the quality of services provided to citizens."