Cairo, Egypt – Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, has unveiled an ambitious initiative to achieve comprehensive health coverage for all citizens, a significant step towards universal health insurance.
Speaking at the “Achievements and Lessons Learned” conference, Abdel Ghaffar detailed the Ministry’s rapid and comprehensive plan to strengthen the health system. This includes support for emerging entities through expertise, resources, and well-trained personnel.
The Minister also called on the private sector to invest in healthcare, promoting competition among providers to improve service quality. This initiative is designed to empower patients by offering them a choice of healthcare facilities.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry’s spokesperson, reiterated the Minister’s support for various health facilities across the public and private sectors. He emphasized the importance of private sector and civil society participation in the comprehensive health insurance system.
The review of the first phase has laid the groundwork for subsequent phases, using scientific and practical insights to address challenges and replicate successes.
The lessons learned and procedural complexities from the initial phase are driving efforts to coordinate the launch of the second phase. This next step will extend to various governorates, each differing in size and population.
Nevin Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, confirmed a 2022 cooperation protocol with the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance. This agreement aims to broaden social protection for those in need.
Al-Kabbaj highlighted the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s comprehensive strategy to support vulnerable populations, ensuring access to a range of rights including health insurance, housing security, food access, educational equality, and insurance coverage.
