Latest news with #MustaphaFerjani
Gulf Business
13-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Business
Tunisia's Health Minister on why the ‘One Health' agenda is key to MENA's health transformation
Image: Supplied Regional partnerships and integrated health strategies are playing a critical role in transforming public health systems across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, Tunisia's Minister of Health, Mustapha Ferjani, said in an interview with Gulf Business ahead of the upcoming 'One Health, One Future' regional In a wide-ranging discussion, Ferjani highlighted the impact of Saudi Arabia's development funding in Tunisia's underserved areas, lessons from intra-regional collaboration, and the importance of embedding the 'One Health' framework — linking human, animal, and environmental health — into national policies. He also outlined Tunisia's efforts in operationalising the approach through legislative reform, capacity building, and cross-sectoral coordination. As Tunisia prepares to host the summit co-organised with the World Bank and the Quadripartite, Ferjani called for deeper regional alignment, data sharing, and coordinated efforts to build resilient health systems and respond to emerging challenges. The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has recently deepened its healthcare engagement in Tunisia, funding key hospital projects in underserved regions. How do you view the broader role of such regional development partnerships in transforming public health infrastructure across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean? Regional partnerships in MENA are strategically vital for the development of different sectors including public health in countries such as Tunisia. Investments from high-income countries, such as Saudi Arabia, are particularly beneficial as they foster shared growth while leveraging a deep understanding of regional contexts and specific challenges in comparison to international investments. The SFD's funding of key hospital projects in underserved regions of Tunisia, such as Sbiba (Kasserine Governorate) and El Jem (Mahdia Governorate), with an overall commitment of over $1.23bn in soft loans and grants for various development projects, including significant contributions to healthcare, directly addresses critical needs and disparities in healthcare access. We see the broader role of such regional development partnerships as transformative for public health infrastructure across the MENA region by bridging critical infrastructure gaps and expanding healthcare capacity, particularly in underserved areas, thereby enhancing service quality through the integration of modern technologies and international best practices. These collaborations promote sustainable development by building resilient healthcare systems with long-term operational frameworks. Tunisia's collaboration with the SFD is part of a growing trend of intra-regional investment in health and development. What lessons can be drawn from Tunisia's experience that could be replicated in other MENA countries, especially those facing similar healthcare access challenges? Tunisia's collaboration with the SFD demonstrates how successful intra-regional development partnerships are, especially when built on targeted investment, long-term commitment, comprehensive capacity building, and most importantly local ownership. Among the key lessons that can be drawn from Tunisia's experience and that are highly replicable in other MENA countries facing similar public health challenges, is directing investments towards underserved regions to address geographical disparities in health and ensure an expanded equitable healthcare delivery. Our Tunisian Saudi partnership also highlights the value of a long-term commitment and sustainable funding mechanisms, as such financial support allows for comprehensive planning and greater project longevity. Strong local ownership and seamless alignment with national health strategies, is another key lesson to be considered by other countries to ensure that external funding complements existing national plans and capacities, accelerating the transformation of public health infrastructure and improving healthcare access for millions. With the upcoming 'One Health, One Future' conference for the North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean region, how do you see the 'One Health' framework shaping national health strategies across the region? Are there any current examples in Tunisia where this integrated approach has already been adopted or piloted? Tunisia Ministry of Health foresees the 'One Health' framework playing an increasingly central and transformative role in shaping national health strategies across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Our upcoming 'One Health, One Future' conference for the region is meant to accelerate the adoption of comprehensive One Health national strategies and foster greater inter-sectoral collaboration, moving away from siloed approaches in public health, veterinary medicine, and environmental protection. Demonstrating a long-standing commitment to this integrated vision, Tunisia has prioritised efforts towards One Health. As early as 1994, well before the concept was formally established, the National Committee on Anthropozoonosis was created and then an early-warning system for avian influenza was established in 2000, combining border screening, farm testing, and wetland bird monitoring. Following the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2016, Tunisia's ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC further integrated environmental protection, climate resilience, and public health. Our commitment to One Health was also evident in the finalisation of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in 2018, which led to scaled-up AMR monitoring to include fish, dairy, and meat. By 2019, cross-sectorial collaborations between the Ministries of Health, Commerce and Agriculture lead to Law 25 on the sanitary safety of food products. More recently, in 2022, Tunisia launched a new legislative project led by its national One Health committee and established the One Health Laboratory at Tunis Pasteur Institute. Later in December 2023, the Ministry of Health joined efforts again with other Ministries to draft the joint One Health national roadmap, setting clear objectives for improved surveillance and coordinated response. This commitment extends to capacity building, with Tunisian veterinarians completing FAO's One Health courses, and practical applications such as our successful rabies elimination campaigns, which achieved over 80 per cent canine vaccination coverage in 2024 through free, mandatory vaccination and nationwide educational campaigns. Most recently, in 2025, Tunisia partnered with the World Bank to develop a Budgetary Action Plan further anchoring One Health in national planning. Dr Tedros, the DG of WHO (left) with Mustapha Ferjani, Minister of Health of Tunisia (right). Photo credit – World Health Organization Given the interconnected nature of human, animal, and environmental health in the region — particularly in rural and agricultural communities — what are the key capacity-building priorities to make 'One Health' a functional and sustainable model in Tunisia and beyond? We aim to transform the 'One Health' approach into a dynamic driver for research, innovation, and resilience-building. To achieve this, regional platforms for collaborative research must be strengthened, and innovation encouraged by establishing effective networks that include researchers, physicians, veterinarians, agricultural engineers, environmental scientists, economists, and data experts. We also seek to enhance data sharing, jointly set regional priorities, and develop impactful collaborative projects. Furthermore, we call for launching master's and doctoral programmes in 'One Health' within regional universities, through the preparation of joint training modules covering human medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental sciences, and public health. In conclusion, we aspire to make 'One Health' a true lever for action, innovation, and resilience across our region. How do you envision regional collaboration evolving post-conference? Could we see more institutional alignment, cross-border initiatives, or even regional task forces to advance the 'One Health' agenda collectively across the Arab world? Hosted by the government of Tunisia and co-organised with the World Bank and the Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, UNEP, WOAH), we envision that our 'One Health, One Future' conference for the North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean region to provide a strong push towards greater institutional alignment and regional collaboration around the One Health agenda. With the anticipated 'Carthage Declaration ', this landmark event is designed to be a catalyst for deeper, more structured cooperation across the Arab world and aims to mainstream One Health from dialogue to action. This means fostering formal agreements and common operational frameworks among health, agriculture, and environment ministries and agencies across the countries in the region. We also foresee increased collaboration in tackling shared challenges, such as conducting joint disease surveillance activities along common borders, coordinated vaccination campaigns against transboundary zoonosis, collaborative research efforts into regional health determinants, as well as effective cross-border data sharing and risk assessments. Tunisia's past engagement with Libya on zoonotic disease prioritisation and participation in Africa CDC's One Health workshops are early examples of this trend, which we expect to intensify with our One Health MENA Conference. We also hope to see more countries in the region adopting national One Health roadmaps, similar to Tunisia's recent initiative, that are harmonized with regional priorities and international standards. Read:
Leaders
23-04-2025
- Health
- Leaders
Tunisian Health Minister Holds Talks with KSrelief Supervisor General
Home / Lifestyle / Tunisian Health Minister Holds Talks with KSrelief Supervisor General Tunisian Minister of Health, Dr. Mustapha Ferjani, met in Tunis with Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief). During the meeting, the two officials discussed various humanitarian and relief-related issues. Dr. Ferjani praised Saudi Arabia's global humanitarian initiatives, commending the vital role KSrelief plays in providing aid and support to those in need around the world. Related Topics: KSrelief Launches 30th Volunteer Medical Program at Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan Syrian Health Minister Holds Meeting with KSrelief Team KSrelief Signs $10.4 Million Aid Agreement to Support Ukraine Amid Ongoing Crisis Oldest Human Footprints Discovered in Saudi Arabia Short link : Post Views: 1
African Manager
24-03-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Pharmaceutical industry: New perspectives taking shape
Tunisia has taken strategic measures to strengthen its autonomy in the pharmaceutical sector. A recent working meeting held at the Ministry of Health resulted in a series of decisions aimed at accelerating the licensing procedures for medicines, ensuring their rapid availability on the market. These decisions include enhancing export opportunities, expanding regional partnerships to position Tunisia as a pharmaceutical hub, and digitizing the sector to ensure transparency and smooth distribution. Present at the meeting, Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani emphasized the directives of the President of the Republic, which aim to achieve pharmaceutical sovereignty, boost local production, and rely on national expertise to ensure health security. The meeting brought together representatives from the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CNIP) as well as directors of structures involved in the pharmaceutical sector. The adopted measures also include encouraging investments in pharmaceutical industries, supporting new laboratories, and revising price compensation mechanisms to protect the competitiveness of local manufacturers. These initiatives reflect the nation's commitment to achieving true health autonomy, aiming to meet citizens' needs and reduce dependence on foreign imports. Over 20% of Medicines Produced in Tunisia Are Exported More than 20% of medicines manufactured in Tunisia are exported to numerous countries, including Libya, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, according to Nadia Fenina, Director General of the Investment and Export Promotion Unit for Health Services at the Ministry of Health. In a recent statement to the media on the sidelines of the first International Days of Generic Medicines and Biosimilars held in Tunis, Fenina revealed that the value of these exports ranges between 250 and 300 million dinars. 'The goal is to reach 1.4 billion dinars within four years,' she noted. Fenina emphasized that this target was set based on the results of a strategic study, which demonstrated that through the implementation of certain measures—such as reducing the time required for market authorization, adjusting prices, and strengthening communication—it will be possible to promote medicine exports. In this context, she highlighted that most medicines produced in Tunisia are generics, which account for 70% of transactions, in addition to biosimilars that are also exported. According to Fenina, Tunisia possesses the necessary expertise and skills to promote investment and exports in the pharmaceutical sector. It is worth noting that Tunisia produces 3,168 generic medicines and 46 biosimilars, according to Abderrazak Hedhili, Director General of the National Medicines Agency. A market worth $1.69 billion The size of Tunisia's pharmaceutical market was estimated at $1.69 billion in 2021, and total revenue is expected to grow by 12.9% between 2022 and 2029, reaching nearly $4.47 billion. This was reported by the website 'Maximisemarketsearch' in a recent overview of the Tunisian pharmaceutical market. According to the same source, 'Tunisia is one of the few countries in Africa with a pharmaceutical sector equipped with sophisticated management and advanced technologies, both in terms of quality and product safety. Local production of generic medicines accounts for approximately 49%, while imports make up about 51%. Tunis is home to around 39 pharmaceutical companies in the region.'
