Global Health Partner opens three clinics for obesity treatment

Global Health Partner opens three clinics for obesity treatment

Global Health Partner is further expanding its network of clinics (Bariatric
Centers) focusing on treating obesity and is taking an important step in
establishing a world-leading chain of clinics for this kind of treatment. The
new clinics are established in Bergen in Norway, Birmingham in the UK and in
Cairo, Egypt. Global Health Partner already has obesity clinics in Stockholm and
Lund in Sweden.

The obesity prevalence is increasing epidemically in the western world. WHO
estimates that close to 150 million people will suffer from obesity in Europe by
2010. Obesity comes with a number of co-morbidities such as diabetes type II,
hypertension and infertility. Both the excessive weight as well as the
co-morbidities cause patient suffering and high health care spending. Studies
show that the only successful treatment for obesity is surgery. Global Health
Partner's clinics are using a method called gastric by-pass, where the surgeon
creates a small pouch of the ventricle. The pouch is then attached to the middle
part of the small intestine. 

Early 2009, a clinic focusing on obesity treatment, Bariatric Center Bergen, was
opened in Vestnorsk Ortopedisk Sykehus in Bergen, Norway where Global Health
Partner also has a clinic focusing on spine surgery, Bergen Spine Center.
Bariatric Center Bergen will primarily focus on the private market. In Norway,
almost 1,200 bariatric surgery procedures were completed in 2007, all of which
were gastric by-passes. The price per procedure in the Norwegian private market
is above NOK 100,000. 

In Birmingham Vita Clinics has started the first of several planned out-patient
clinics in the UK. Initially, a number of publicly funded patients from Northern
Ireland are treated under a queue-shortening agreement, but the UK clinics will
also address the private market. The number of bariatric surgeries in the UK
market is still very low, despite the fact that obesity prevalence is among the
highest in Europe. In 2007 some 5,200 bariatric surgery procedures were
completed, of which 2,000 were gastric by-passes. The volume is expected to
increase significantly the next few years. The price is around GBP 10,000 for
the procedure in the private market. 

The third clinic, Bariatric Center Cairo, is being opened in Cairo, Egypt and
will treat private patients. The share of the population suffering from obesity
exceeds 20% and a very high share of these is also suffering from type II
diabetes. In 2007 more than 1,400 bariatric surgeries were completed, of which
more than 200 were gastric by-passes. Market growth is high and the price for a
gastric by-pass varies between EGP 40,000 and 100,000. The clinic is run by
Osama Taha, a surgeon trained at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in
Gothenburg, Sweden.

Global Health Partner's ambition is to create a world-leading chain of clinics
for treating obesity, with focus on surgery. Through strong specialisation, high
volumes and co-operation between clinics and between different specialities
within each clinic superior quality and efficiency can be reached, which is of
value both for patients as well as payors. 

Gothenburg 5 February 2009
Global Health Partner AB (publ)

For further information, please contact:
Per Båtelson, CEO Global Health Partner, telephone +46 (0)705-95 57 00

Global Health Partner operates specialist clinics that focus on selected
treatment areas (Spine, Dental, Obesity and Orthopaedics) using a business model
unique in the Swedish healthcare sector in which leading physicians become
partners and shareholders. Operating clinics with a high patient volume in a
particular treatment area leads to a higher level of efficiency and quality.
This concept of “Quality through Specialisation” is the foundation for the
clinics and Global Health Partner's operations.

Global Health Partner's shares are traded on the Small Cap list at NASDAQ OMX
Stockholm under the abbreviation “GHP.”

Global Health Partner AB (publ) | www.globalhealthpartner.com
Corp. ID No. 556757-1103 | Östra Hamngatan 26-28 | SE-411 09 Gothenburg | Sweden
Tel +46 (0)31-712 53 00 | Fax +46 (0)31-313 13 21