Hikma highlights private sector role

The role of the private sector in helping to bridge differences in health care costs was the focus of a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Jordan.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, and a partner of the World Economic Forum, continues on the path of advancing the economy and health sector in the Middle East and North Africa region by taking part in the “investing in health care” panel and Arab Employment initiative at the WEF Dead Sea.
In 2013, Hikma became a regional associate of the World Economic Forum to align their efforts through this partnership for a shared vision of advancing growth and resilience in the region in these turbulent times.
Represented by Mazen Darwazah, MENA CEO, Hikma was actively involved in the project board of the —  New Vision for Arab Employment — initiative, which aims at addressing the employment challenge in the Arab World, Darwazah commented on the urgency of job creation in the region and the required mechanisms and partnerships to address this issue in the Levant region.
Based on most recent International Finance Corporation (IFC) Jobs Study report, a significant constraint to job creation and overall economic growth is the lack of sufficiently skilled workers, and the best way in the medium- to longer-term to overcome that constraint is through a combination of further education and on-the-job training
At the health session held on May 25 entitled “Investing in Healthcare” Darwazah addressed the opportunities for investing in health and well-being with the vast differences in cost and access across the region.
The role of the private sector in helping to balance the vast differences in cost and access across the region is vital as lower cost and lower health access economies with favorable demographic trends present opportunities for private sector companies and a responsibility in assisting local governments’ limitations to improve health care provision.
The role of information technology in improving health care was also addressed at the sessions in terms of patient compliance, improving private health care expenditure tracking, better patient education and wider access to online patient groups.
Mazen Darwazah commented on Hikma’s partnership and participation at the WEF. Darwazah said: “As a major player in the region’s developing health care sector, Hikma finds the WEF to be an excellent opportunity for leaders of leading organizations to meet as a global community to share best practices and discuss common challenges and risks. With all its resources, our region as a whole has formidable assets to drive positive outcomes.”
Mazen also added: “Private sector health care companies improve health and wellness not only by providing better access to drugs and improved medical education/training, but also by contributing to greater employment, more highly skilled workers and general wealth creation.”
Over the past 30 years, Hikma has focused on advancing and building communities through developing and investing in the health sector in the MENA region.
Youth empowerment and their enrolment in the work forces has been a major priority for Hikma as the MENA region is home for youthful populations and some of the fastest-growing economies globally.
A press release says Hikma Pharmaceuticals is a fast-growing multinational group focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of both branded and non branded generic and in-licensed products. Hikma’s operations are conducted through three businesses: “Branded,” “Injectables” and “Generics” based principally in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where it is a market leader, the US and Europe.