Exploring the Kuwaiti Public Health System: Addressing Challenges and Identifying Solutions

Author(s): AlJawhara M. AlSabah

The Kuwaiti public health system faces significant challenges in meeting the healthcare demands of its growing population amid changing demographics, evolving disease patterns, and rising healthcare costs. This article examines the systemic obstacles hindering Kuwait’s ability to deliver efficient, equitable, and high-quality clinical services. Drawing on observations from the 2012 Kuwait University Public Health Education workshop and regional comparative analysis, this study identifies three critical impediments to public health advancement in Kuwait: poor communication and coordination among public health initiatives, deficient transnational collaboration in preventive health efforts, and the absence of a comprehensive multidisciplinary public health authority with supervisory planning capabilities. The analysis reveals that despite numerous active public health initiatives across governmental, private, and civil society sectors, these efforts operate largely in isolation, resulting in unrecognized gaps, overlaps, and duplication of services. Furthermore, Kuwait lacks a comprehensive Public Health Law and an independently-constituted national Public Health Association, placing it behind regional neighbors in public health governance. Based on frameworks established by the World Bank’s 2004 MENA regional conference, this article proposes solutions centered on six priority areas: leadership and political will, adopting a new view of public health, strengthening data and surveillance systems, fostering partnerships and collaboration, addressing emerging health problems, and implementing cost-effective “best buy” interventions. The findings emphasize that increased health sector spending alone will not yield effective results without proper governance structures, institutional capacity building, and strategic investments in public health education and research infrastructure.