Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said on Monday that Egypt has become a regional hub for health investment and innovation, highlighting the country’s comprehensive healthcare reforms and expanding public–private partnerships.
Speaking during the session “National and Global Healthcare: Policy and Investment” at the Global Health Exhibition 2025 in Riyadh –attended by Saudi Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel– Abdel Ghaffar said that effective health policies form the foundation of resilient, equitable, and sustainable systems.
He noted that every dollar invested in healthcare yields up to fourfold returns in economic and social benefits, adding that Egypt’s experience demonstrates how strategic reforms, sound governance, and partnerships can drive integrated health transformation and economic growth.
The minister explained that Egypt is implementing wide-ranging reforms to build a strong, investment-friendly, and sustainable health system by empowering the private sector, strengthening regulation, promoting digital transformation, and localising pharmaceutical industries. He said the country is carrying out 1,300 health projects worth EGP 177bn to improve efficiency and raise hospital bed capacity to 1.34 beds per 1,000 citizens.
Abdel Ghaffar also unveiled new investment incentives featuring two operational models: the Greenfield model for constructing new hospitals and the Brownfield model for operating and upgrading existing public facilities, in coordination with the General Authority for Investment. He noted that Egypt’s new Concession Law No. 78 of 2024 enhances transparency and provides guarantees and incentives for healthcare investors.
In the digital sphere, the minister said the Universal Health Insurance System has delivered over 40 million medical services worth EGP 151bn and issued more than 20 million digital prescriptions, enabling full hospital digitisation and the integration of AI and telemedicine tools.
On pharmaceutical manufacturing, Abdel Ghaffar highlighted that Egypt has achieved 100% localisation of Hepatitis C treatment at a cost of just $50 per patient, alongside 79% localisation of modern antibiotics and 95.5% of eye solutions. Local insulin production, he said, reinforces Egypt’s regional leadership in biotechnology.
He added that the Egyptian Drug Authority has achieved WHO maturity level 3 and was selected among only six countries worldwide to receive mRNA vaccine technology transfer. Egypt’s expanding manufacturing capacity, he stressed, positions it as a pivotal player in regional pharmaceutical supply chains.
Abdel Ghaffar concluded by calling on regional and international partners to collaborate in expanding healthcare manufacturing, accelerating digital transformation, and advancing universal health coverage across Africa and the Middle East.
