Egypt’s budget for healthcare sector continuously on the rise

Maait made his statement during the second edition of Al-Ahram Pharmaceutical Conference (APHC), held on 16 and 17 October.

Allocations for children’s drugs and milk formulas increased by 43 per cent in 2021/22 on the year before and support for health insurance programmes has been raised by EGP 1.2 billion, he said.

Maait reiterated the words of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi during the UN meeting on comprehensive healthcare in 2019, saying that governments and development partners should work on finding quick and sufficient solutions to boost healthcare services, being a human right essential for creating a decent life.

Comprehensive healthcare can only be achieved when access to medicines and healthcare technological advances is granted, he added. Countries and international institutions should form alliances to make available safe and effective medicines for all peoples, Maait said. Ensuring better health conditions is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, he added.

The coronavirus pandemic has proven the need for solid and flexible healthcare systems to endure economic downturns, the minister stated, noting that the latest international developments showed that drug manufacturing is key to countries’ national security.