Latest news with #healthsystems
Zawya
11 hours ago
- Health
- Zawya
EU invests $4.9mln to support Zimbabwe's National Public Health Institute
The European Union (EU) has committed €4.2 million to support the establishment of Zimbabwe's first National Public Health Institute (NPHI), reinforcing its partnership with Zimbabwe in building stronger and more resilient health systems. The four-year EU-funded initiative, implemented with the World Health Organization (WHO), will strengthen Zimbabwe's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. Guided by the Africa CDC Framework and aligned with the Global Gateway Health Package launched at the 6th EU–AU Summit, the NPHI will focus on science, evidence generation, and data-driven policy advice rather than direct service delivery. Key priorities for the NPHI include: Developing a national strategy and roadmap for public health; Improving digital health literacy and reducing the public health skills gap; Strengthening disease surveillance and research, particularly for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes; Expanding Zimbabwe's participation in regional and international health networks. The establishment process will be highly consultative, bringing together the Ministry of Health and Child Care, universities, research institutes, and other health partners. It will also foster collaboration with African and European public health institutes that have successfully implemented similar models. This support forms part of the Team Europe Initiative on National Public Health Institutes in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Once operational, the NPHI is expected to become a cornerstone of evidence-based decision-making, improving the health and well-being of Zimbabweans. © Copyright The Zimbabwean. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Automated Immunoassay Analyzers Market Valuation Poised to Surpass US$ 74.59 Billion by 2033
Demand for automated immunoassay analyzers surges across laboratories and clinics, driven by soaring test volumes and rigorous quality expectations. Consequently, data-enabled platforms, local production alliances, and point-of-care integration position the market for remarkable long-term profitability. Chicago, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global automated immunoassay analyzers market was valued at US$ 23.12 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 74.59 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 13.90% during the forecast period 2025–2033. The COVID-19 pandemic permanently elevated baseline laboratory workloads, and 2024 procurement logs from the ten largest U.S. health systems confirm that routine immunoassay volumes now exceed 2.3 billion tests annually—an increase of more than 600 million tests versus 2019. Sustained demand for cardiac biomarkers, high-sensitivity thyroid panels, and multiplex respiratory assays has pushed core-lab managers to favor consolidated instrumentation capable of running 400–600 samples without manual loading. Consequently, the automated immunoassay analyzers market is experiencing unprecedented inquiry levels from public and private facilities alike, with many buyers stipulating 24/7 unattended operation as a mandatory tender requirement. Laboratory directors also cite soaring nurse-to-patient ratios as an impetus to replace semi-automated systems that still require tube decapping or reagent re-constitution. Get Instant Access to Sample Pages: Outside North America, similar patterns are evident. India's National Health Mission reported 370 million immunoassay tests reimbursed in fiscal 2023, driven chiefly by antenatal screening and sepsis triage. Meanwhile, Germany's DRG data show troponin-I orders rising by 11 million test-units between 2022 and 2023, underscoring a Europe-wide pivot toward faster cardiac rule-out protocols. These concrete throughput figures, rather than abstract growth percentages, capture the operational urgency now propelling new installations in the market. Investors looking at laboratory infrastructure can therefore bank on test-volume momentum that appears structurally entrenched rather than merely cyclical. Key Findings in Automated immunoassay Analyzers Market Market Forecast (2033) US$ 74.59 Billion CAGR 13.90% Largest Region (2024) North America (35%) By Product Type Chemiluminescence (53%) By Application Infectious Diseases (30%) By End Users Hospitals (34%) Top Drivers Chronic disease prevalence increased 68% driving automated immunoassay demand 65% laboratories depend on automated systems for high-throughput testing 67% hospitals prefer automated immunoassay analyzers for early detection Top Trends AI-integrated automated immunoassay analyzers adoption increased by 46% globally Point-of-care immunoassay analyzers witnessed 49% growth in healthcare facilities Multiplex automated immunoassay analyzers rose 41% for simultaneous testing Top Challenges 37% diagnostic labs report automated immunoassay analyzer integration difficulties 39% small laboratories cite automated immunoassay analyzer budget constraints 31% efficiency gap exists across multi-vendor immunoassay analyzer platforms Innovations Elevate Throughput Sensitivity and Workflow In Modern Laboratories During 2023-2024, vendors introduced a wave of platform refreshes that materially reshape the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Roche's cobas® pro integrated solution, for example, processes up to 2,200 results per hour by chaining two e 801 modules to a shared sample container—effectively doubling the output of its previous-generation layout. Abbott's Alinity i 'Series 2' firmware update also trims turnaround time for high-volume thyroid-stimulating hormone assays from 18 minutes to 10 minutes, a gain accomplished by re-optimizing on-board incubation paths. These incremental yet critical advances translate directly into shorter emergency-department holdovers and improve clinician satisfaction, two metrics now embedded in most U.S. value-based purchasing contracts. Equally transformative are sensitivity upgrades. DiaSorin's LIAISON® XL now detects vitamin-D levels down to 4 ng/mL, supporting earlier osteopenia intervention. Beckman Coulter's new Access SARS-CoV-2 IgM assay boasts a limit of detection below 0.1 AU/mL, enabling more reliable post-infection surveillance. The push toward finer analytical performance is reinforced by oncology: HER-2 quantitative monitoring demands coefficient-of-variation values under 3.0, forcing manufacturers to tighten temperature-control algorithms and reagent-mixing kinetics. These concrete engineering milestones highlight how continuous R&D investment is not mere marketing theater but rather the practical engine sustaining long-term leadership within the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Regulatory Landscape and Quality Standards Steer Procurement and Implementation Decisions Risk-based regulation is intensifying worldwide, and its ripple effect can be felt across the automated immunoassay analyzers market. The European Union's In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) fully entered its transitional enforcement phase in May 2024, immediately re-classifying over 430 legacy immunoassays into higher-risk categories that require notified-body scrutiny. Vendors that completed IVDR technical documentation early—among them Roche, Abbott, and bioMérieux—gained a tangible sales edge because hospital buyers increasingly bundle analyzer hardware with CE-accredited reagent menus. In the United States, the FDA's 2024 revised draft guidance on laboratory-developed tests mandates manufacturer-validated performance claims for any assay run on automated platforms; this change is forecast to shift considerable test volume from home-brewed ELISA benches onto fully cleared instruments. Quality management frameworks are evolving in tandem. College of American Pathologists accreditation checklists now include a dedicated line-item for 'automated maintenance logs with vendor-validated electronic signatures,' effectively compelling laboratories to select analyzers capable of exporting non-editable PDF files. In China, the National Medical Products Administration added 'loop calibration verification' to its compulsory inspection list, emphasizing metrological traceability. Taken together, these regulatory nudges penalize vendors that lack end-to-end compliance infrastructure, and they amplify the premium placed on fully documented systems within the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Health Economics Reveal Cost Efficiency and Staffing Impact Of Automation Total cost-of-ownership audits conducted by five U.S. academic medical centers in 2023 show that swapping three medium-throughput analyzers for one high-end automated immunoassay line yielded an average US$ 980,000 in annual labor savings, primarily by eliminating third-shift technologist overtime. The same studies documented reagent waste reductions of 8.4 million test-cups over 12 months, thanks to real-time on-board inventory tracking. Even without referencing market-size figures, such micro-economic data points reveal why procurement committees consistently green-light capital expenditure in the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Beyond direct savings, opportunity costs are substantial. A Midwest health system calculated that freeing 2.6 full-time equivalents previously tied to manual tube sorting allowed the hospital to expand a profitable allergy panel that netted an additional US$ 3.2 million in test revenue during 2023. Similar math underpins adoption in Latin America, where private diagnostics chains regularly publish analyzer uptime records exceeding 98,000 continuous operating minutes between unplanned service calls. By quantifying concrete dollar and labor benefits—not abstract CAGR curves—hospital CFOs can more accurately benchmark payback periods, thereby reinforcing the fiscal logic of investments across the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Emerging Markets Showcase Rapid Infrastructure Expansion and Local Manufacturing Partnerships National healthcare initiatives are rewriting the geographic demand map for the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Brazil's Programa Mais Saúde, updated in January 2024, allocated funding to equip 150 new regional laboratories; the first tranche of tenders requires 800-test/hour immunoassay lines with chemiluminescent technology. In parallel, Indonesia's Ministry of Health confirmed the delivery of 420 Abbott ARCHITECT platforms to public hospitals under its 'Sehat Bersama' modernization program, dramatically increasing rural testing capacity for hepatitis and HIV. These publicly disclosed procurement figures illustrate a decisive shift from manual ELISA plates toward turnkey automation. Local manufacturing alliances are accelerating this momentum. In 2024, China's Mindray signed a joint-venture agreement with Egypt's SEDICO to assemble the CL-900i analyzer in Sixth of October City, ensuring shorter delivery lead times and compliance with new import-substitution mandates. Meanwhile, Indian contract manufacturer SkanRay began producing control and calibration kits for Beckman Coulter's Access series, reducing per-test logistics costs by roughly US$ 0.18. Such initiatives blend industrial policy with pragmatic supply-chain risk mitigation, making them a cornerstone growth lever within the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Point Of Care Convergence Creates Hybrid Systems For Decentralized Testing The border between core laboratory and near-patient testing continues to blur, reshaping product design across the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Siemens Healthineers' Atellica® VTLi, a handheld high-sensitivity troponin device launched globally in 2024, delivers a quantitative result in eight minutes while automatically syncing data to the hospital's central LIS. When paired with the company's Atellica® IM module, laboratories can now standardize cardiac assays from emergency bay to central lab, eliminating cross-platform calibration discrepancies. Similar hybrid configurations are emerging in primary-care networks, where desktop units such as the bioMérieux VIDAS® Duo establish bridgeheads for decentralized thyroid and fertility screening. Capital planners find the economics compelling: each avoided sample transport can save roughly US$ 9 in courier and packaging costs, according to a 2024 analysis by the United Kingdom's National Pathology Exchange. Moreover, reduced pre-analytic time translates into earlier clinical decisions, directly feeding value-based reimbursement metrics. As health systems intensify their outreach to ambulatory surgery centers and retail clinics, vendors able to architect seamless core-to-POC ecosystems will capture the lion's share of incremental placements in the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Data Integration, AI, and Cloud Services Power Predictive Maintenance Ecosystems Software has become a decisive differentiator in the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Beckman Coulter's DxONE Insights platform now aggregates anonymized performance data from more than 14,000 analyzers worldwide, using gradient-boosted AI models to predict reagent lot failures up to 36 hours in advance. Early pilots at a 1,200-bed Seoul hospital shaved 4.7 unplanned downtime hours per month, preserving continuous STAT turnaround. Similarly, Roche's cobas® link cloud pushes firmware patches in under three minutes, completing tasks that once required an on-site engineer visit and a two-hour shutdown. Such quantifiable uptime improvements offer laboratories a compelling hedge against staff shortages and reactive maintenance costs. Interoperability is equally critical. The latest HL7® FHIR modules released in February 2024 allow direct analyzer-to-EHR token exchange, enabling discrete outcome reporting for increasingly data-rich multiplex assays. This connectivity extends to quality control: CLIA-mandated Levy–Jennings charts now populate automatically, boosting audit readiness. Because software subscription fees are typically booked under operating rather than capital budgets, IT-savvy procurement teams gain new levers for spreading cash outflow while still advancing technical capabilities. As digital health maturity rises, the data layer is fast becoming a primary battleground, intensifying competitive dynamics within the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Get Expert Validation Before You Purchase: Competitive Landscape Highlights Strategic Alliances, Differentiated Portfolios, User Centric Design Competitive intensity has reached a new pitch in 2024, with mergers and strategic alliances reshaping the automated immunoassay analyzers market. Thermo Fisher Scientific's acquisition of specialty assay developer Olink unlocks a 1,500-analyte proteomics menu that will be ported onto its Indiko™ platform over the next 18 months. Meanwhile, Siemens Healthineers and Fujifilm announced a co-development pact targeting oncology markers optimized for both chemiluminescent and photon-counting detection, a dual-format strategy designed to hedge technology risk. Such tie-ups reflect an industry consensus that reagent breadth, not just hardware specs, will determine long-run customer retention. User-centric engineering is also front-and-center. Mindray's CL-8000i introduces LED-illuminated reagent bays viewable through tempered glass, allowing technologists to confirm inventory without opening doors—an innovation that shaved 12 seconds off each loading cycle during a 2024 usability trial. Alere's next-gen Triage® X analyzer features voice-guided maintenance routines, cutting onboarding time for new hires by three hours. Across bids, hospitals increasingly award 'human-factor' points that can sway purchasing decisions when technical scores are otherwise neck-and-neck. These developments underscore how ergonomics, assay partnerships, and digital ecosystems collectively mold competitive positioning in the automated immunoassay analyzers market, setting the stage for continuous evolution well beyond 2025. Automated Immunoassay Analyzers Market Key Players: Beckman Coulter Sysmex Corporation Abbott Laboratories Fujirebio Abcam PerkinElmer Roche Diagnostics Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Hologic Quidel Corporation Siemens Healthineers Molecular Devices bioMérieux Thermo Fisher Scientific Danaher Corporation Other Prominent Players Key Segmentation: By Product Immunofluorescence Chemiluminescence Enzyme Linked Fluorescent System Radioimmunoassay By Application Infectious Diseases Endocrinology Drug Monitoring Chronic Diseases Allergy Testing By End User Academic Research Institutes Biotech And Pharma Companies Hospitals Diagnostic Test Laboratories Others By Region Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Africa South America Customize the Data Scope to Match Your Objectives: About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global market research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across industries such as technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and more. We publish multiple reports daily, equipping businesses with the intelligence they need to navigate market trends, emerging opportunities, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements. With a team of experienced business analysts, economists, and industry experts, we deliver accurate, in-depth, and actionable research tailored to meet the strategic needs of our clients. At Astute Analytica, our clients come first, and we are committed to delivering cost-effective, high-value research solutions that drive success in an evolving marketplace. Contact Us:Astute AnalyticaPhone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World)For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Follow us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube CONTACT: Contact Us: Astute Analytica Phone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World) For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Website: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Aligning Contracts With The Goals Of Value-Based Care
Ted Chien, President and CEO, SullivanCotter, Inc. Health systems moving toward a value-based care delivery model need to adjust several operational factors to be successful. This includes creating pathways for a better patient experience as well as improving the ability to measure changes in patient satisfaction and cost of care. While some of this can be done by adopting new tools and technologies, changing the mindset of clinicians is equally important for supporting a successful shift. In value-based models, compensation for physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) are tied to care quality and patient outcomes rather than service volume. However, I find this strategy can fall apart for many health systems at the contract, compensation and incentive levels. Incentivizing The Shift To Value-Based Care Quality can only improve when employees are incentivized and compensated based on the right metrics. These can include goals like: • Reduced rates of readmission • More proactive management of chronic illness • Improved patient access and satisfaction • Reduced spend on care • More effective preventative care measures At the same time, physicians, APPs, nurses and other clinicians are all demanding more personalized employment structures. With burnout remaining a persistent problem since the pandemic and the continued pressure of labor shortages, clinicians are looking for more flexible and supportive employment arrangements combined with a positive culture fit. Requests might include limiting travel between multiple locations, restricting after-hours and on-call responsibilities or other approaches that offer a reduced workload. Some clinicians may even opt for lower compensation—including accepting part-time or telehealth-only employment contracts—to enable a better work-life balance. Younger generations of the clinical workforce have experienced the pressures of the job firsthand and are leaning toward employment structures that actively support well-being. In fact, 91% of residents in a recent survey placed a higher priority on work-life balance and workplace culture over compensation. These new clinicians are looking to trade traditional production-based pay structures for greater security, higher guaranteed salaries and expanded benefits. This includes housing assistance, student loan forgiveness, child care benefits and more. New Models For Compensation Design Many high-level compensation design practices have remained relatively consistent year over year, despite the shift toward value-based care and the evolving perspectives of clinicians. However, the legacy "one-size-fits-all" compensation approach no longer fits. Health systems are actively looking for new compensation models that align with recruitment and retention strategies, value-based care delivery models and cost efficiencies. In some case, especially among larger, tier-one health systems, there is now a greater variation in the number and type of plans being used. This approach supports more customized and personalized incentives aimed at specific roles rather than at groups of people or specialties. As the market looks to align compensation more closely with how care is delivered, health systems are experimenting with varying pay approaches for clinicians based on the care delivery model currently in place. For instance, two employees with similar tenure and skills may have different pay models based on the responsibilities and volume of time they are able to commit. Evolving Comp Models Require Different Contracts As business models change and incentives and compensation evolve alongside them, clinical and administrative teams need to reconsider how they develop and administer employment contracts. At a very basic level, employment contracts outline base salaries, bonuses and benefits and are usually tied to specific deliverables. If specific work hours are negotiated, these must be clearly outlined along with the corresponding effect on compensation. While this part of the contract isn't new, the language around compensation that allows for work flexibility or hybrid in-person and telehealth hours may also need to be considered. Contracting is one key element of managing a successful program. Administering the program is equally important. Many opportunities exist to improve the contracting and administrative process. Too often, contracts do not align with how programs are administered, leading to unintentional risks—with the most important being a lack of trust and engagement among clinicians. In the face of high turnover, retention may also be an important consideration. For example, a contract might stipulate specific employment terms or stability clauses that encourage alignment and commitment from clinicians to the mission of the enterprise. Clarifying Incentives In Value-Based Contracts In a value-based care model, programs like the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) encourage the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to coordinate care, improve outcomes and reduce spend while maintaining quality. Physicians who participate in shared savings programs receive a portion of the cost savings achieved through efficient care delivery. This element of compensation needs to be clearly defined in the employment contract. Nursing contracts are also changing based on what motivates employees to remain in their jobs. A recent study from Lotis Blue Consulting analyzed data from approximately 1,000 clinical professionals representing more than 400 organizations to uncover the underlying psychological drivers behind decisions to stay at, consider leaving or quit a job. It found that job stability and a consistent work schedule are important factors in job satisfaction—even more so than compensation. This points to the importance of building schedule expectations into contracts to reduce uncertainties in work hours. As health systems continue to work toward more patient outcome-centric models, it's important to remember that other aspects of the business must be redesigned to incentivize employees to shift alongside the business. By creating and administering contracts that lay out clear expectations, offer rewards and incentives based on desired outcomes and meet the contemporary expectations of clinicians, health systems will be in a much better position to retain the talent needed to achieve success. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Zawya
04-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Africa: How to escape the trap of curative consumption for health production?
Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its health journey. While challenges such as shifting global priorities and reduced donor support are significant, the more pressing issue lies within the very foundation of our health systems. At the heart of the problem is a structural design that focuses more on responding to illness than on keeping people healthy. With a population of over 1.4 billion — and expected to represent one in five people globally in the near future — the continent finds itself caught in a troubling paradox. Even as we make strides in managing infectious diseases, many African health systems remain under-resourced, stretched thin, and heavily reliant on curative care. The emphasis continues to be on costly, hospital-based treatments rather than on prevention, health education, and community-based approaches that could ease the burden of disease and improve overall well-being. This model is neither sustainable nor equitable, and it keeps us locked in what I call the 'curative consumption trap.' It drains our already limited resources, perpetuates inequities, and undermines our vision for universal health coverage (UHC). It's time to shift from a reactive, hospital-centric model to one that invests in health production — resilient, community-driven, people-centred systems that prevent disease, empower people, and build a healthier future for all Africans. A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that high-income countries spend around $4,000 per capita on healthcare, mostly through public financing. In sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is closer to $40, and that's assuming countries meet the aspirational goal of allocating 15 percent of national budgets to health. Most do not. Can Africa afford healthcare as currently structured? The answer is clearly no. This consumption-based model has colonial roots built for the rich who came to Africa and needed a health system that reflected their needs as they were used to back in their home countries and reinforced by political incentives that favour short-term infrastructure projects over long-term people-centred reforms. During the recent Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2025 in Kigali, it was evident that many African health systems still focus on treating disease rather than preventing it — a legacy that must be urgently overcome. The curative consumption trap: A vicious cycleHospitals and clinics often serve as the epicentre of care, with resources skewed toward expensive, tertiary-level interventions that politicians prioritise to appeal to voters. This curative bias is evident and at the expense of addressing preventative measures needed to reduce the disease burden, such as the rising tide of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. In 2019, NCDs accounted for 37 percent of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, up from 24 percent in 2000, and the burden is rising. Our systems are ill-equipped to manage this growing crisis. The curative consumption trap is fuelled by several factors. First, a post-colonial bias for infrastructure-heavy, specialist-led care over community-based approaches informed by the health needs of those who built the health systems. Second, a health workforce trained to treat illness, not promote wellness. In medical school, for instance, I recall spending just one lethargic month on community health attachment, compared to years learning about diagnosis, surgery, and pharmacology. This narrative is supported by political incentive as infrastructure is a politician vote driver and historical budgeting approaches prioritise infrastructure and equipment procurement. Third, a lack of trust in unfriendly distant supply-driven health systems leads people to seek care only when they are really sick, resulting in late diagnoses and high treatment costs. This isn't just a health issue, but a social and economic crisis. When systems focus on curing instead of preventing, they consume scarce financial and human resources while ignoring root causes such as unsafe water, poor sanitation, undernutrition, and the proliferation of unhealthy processed foods full of industrial trans fats and sweetened beverages. The result is high costs for health services with families pushed into poverty by catastrophic healthcare costs from out of pocket expenditure. The result is a vicious cycle where illness perpetuates poverty, and poverty perpetuates illness. Shifting the focus to health productionTo break this cycle, we need to embrace a model of health production: one that keeps people healthy, empowers communities, and addresses social determinants of health. It should be proactive, equitable, people-centred and sustainable, ensuring that every African has access to the tools and knowledge to live a healthy life, including reproductive health services for adolescents and women. This requires two major shifts. First, we must prioritise preventive and promotive health. Prevention is the cornerstone of health production. Evidence shows that primary healthcare, with a focus on primary care and prevention, community empowerment and engagement and multi-sectorial approaches improves health outcomes, enhances equity, and increases system efficiency. Yet, only 48 percent of Africans have access to primary healthcare services, leaving 615 million people without adequate services. To address this, we need to invest in community health systems including Community Health workers (CHWs), who are the backbone of primary healthcare. CHWs are often the first and only point of contact for underserved communities. They deliver preventive services such as vaccines, they educate communities on healthy practices, and detect early warning signs of disease, yet, many remain underpaid, undertrained, and disconnected from formal health systems. Governments need to commit to financing and integrating CHW programmes into national health systems, as outlined in the 2018 WHO guidelines— not as stopgaps, but as core pillars of national health strategy. Promotive health also means tackling the social determinants of health—poverty, education, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, and environmental factors. We also need policies that tackle risk factors. Taxing unhealthy products like industrial trans fats, tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages can reduce the burden of NCDs while generating revenue for health programmes. These funds can be channelled into community-led initiatives that promote clean water, sanitation, and nutrition, addressing the root causes of disease. Second, we need to empower communities as active participants in their health. Health systems cannot succeed without the trust and participation of the people they serve. Too often, African health systems are designed around institutions and diseases rather than people. Some have jokingly referred to our ministries of health as "ministries of disease" — a reflection of how disconnected the system can feel from lived realities. Communities — including youth, women, and marginalised groups — must have a seat at the decision-making table. Health policies should be co-designed and governed by those they are meant to serve. It's time to update the current WHO framework and recognise 'people' as the seventh building block of effective health systems, alongside service delivery, health workforce, information systems, health financing, access to medicines and health technologies, as well as leadership governance. Empowering communities also requires fostering accountability. Civil society-led mechanisms can hold governments, private sector and other partners accountable for delivering on UHC commitments, ensuring that policies align with the principles of social justice. By giving communities a stake in their health systems, we can build trust, encourage early health-seeking behaviour, and reduce the reliance on curative care. Moreover, African governments must address inefficiencies and corruption, optimising the use of limited resources. By embracing digital technology and artificial intelligence, we can improve health data systems, enhance service delivery, and target interventions more effectively noting technology must be deployed at the community level, not just in hospitals, to enhance equitable access, particularly at the last mile. A call to action: Building the health systems of the futureThe curative consumption trap is a legacy of colonial health systems and misaligned global priorities. It is not inevitable. Africa has the opportunity to redefine its health agenda, leveraging its youthful population, rich cultural heritage, and growing technological innovation. But this requires bold leadership and collective action. African governments should prioritise health in national budgets, recognising that health is not a cost but an investment in human capital for socioeconomic development. Donors and global health partners must shift their focus from short-term, disease-specific interventions to long-term health system strengthening in line with the Lusaka Agenda, an effort for all to prioritise strengthening health systems, promoting sustainable health financing and enhancing equity through national level co-ordination. As we approach 2030, the deadline for achieving UHC, we must decide: Do we continue down the path of reactive, costly care with limited returns or do we embrace a model that produces health, dignity, and opportunity for all?The curative trap may be the legacy we inherited, but health production is the legacy we must build. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Arabian Business
01-07-2025
- Health
- Arabian Business
The economics of prevention: How maternal RSV immunisation can strengthen public health systems
While respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) typically causes mild symptoms in adults, the virus can be life-threatening for infants. The seasonal virus is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and young children worldwide, accounting for an estimated 33 million LRTIs each year. This global trend is reflected in the Middle East and North Africa region, where RSV is the leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections in young children. In addition to causing LRTIs, RSV leads to over three million hospital admissions and nearly 60,000 deaths globally in children under five each year. Maternal vaccinations not only help protect one of the most vulnerable population groups but also support national healthcare systems and economies by reducing both direct and indirect costs. The economic impact of infant RSV The health impact of RSV in infants results in a heavy burden on national healthcare systems. In Dubai alone, a recent 10-year retrospective cohort study showed that nearly half of patients with RSV were aged under 2 years; of these patients, 22 per cent were hospitalised with an average hospital stay of four days and a hospitalisation cost of US$9.8 million. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, researchers recently projected that if nothing changes, RSV will drive roughly 86,000 infant hospitalisations and US$817.9 million in associated medical costs over the next five years. However, the economic impact of RSV in infants extends beyond the hospital, as parents often miss work to care for their sick infants, leading to a loss in economic productivity. The science behind maternal vaccines Maternal vaccines leverage the natural infant protection mechanism that occurs during pregnancy, providing a boost to the levels of antibodies to shield infants during the first months of life before they are eligible to receive vaccines directly. This transfer of antibodies from mother to fetus is so efficient that by the time a baby is born at full term, the concentration of antibodies in the baby's blood is often even higher than in the mother's. Maternal vaccines have come a long way since the 1800s, when it was first observed that infants born to women vaccinated against smallpox during pregnancy were protected in early life. Today, pharmaceutical leaders are constantly investing in research and development (R&D) efforts related to maternal vaccines while prioritising the safety of both mother and child. Pfizer has leveraged years of vaccines expertise and new scientific discoveries to bring forward a maternal RSV vaccine with the potential to harness a mother's natural ability to provide protection to growing babies through the transfer of antibodies in the womb. This maternal immunisation is currently helping to protect infants in their vulnerable first months of life from disease caused by this highly contagious virus. The potential impact of maternal RSV vaccines By preventing RSV in infants, maternal vaccinations have the potential to reduce the economic impact of the disease. According to recent research, increasing the uptake of the maternal vaccine in KSA to 90 per cent will have a budget impact of US$741.8 million, compared to US$1,689.7 million with a 25 per cent uptake. In addition to direct medical costs, costs related to parent absenteeism will also be reduced, resulting in a more productive and efficient economy. Reducing the impact of RSV in infants will also free up hospital beds, making way for other urgent infant healthcare needs, resulting in a stronger healthcare infrastructure. Beyond the economic impact of maternal RSV vaccines, and of much higher importance, preventing RSV in infants has the potential to safeguard infant lives and can contribute to national government efforts to reduce infant mortality rates.
