Egypt’s Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that a presidential initiative for maternal and fetal health has provided free, comprehensive medical screening to more than 3.6 million pregnant women nationwide since its launch, as part of the broader “100 Million Health” public health campaign.
Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the programme focuses on the early detection of diseases that can be transmitted from mother to child, offering immediate treatment and full free care. Priority screening targets hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis to ensure safe deliveries and healthy newborns, he added.
Fawzy Fathy, the initiative’s executive director, said medical teams follow up with each woman and her newborn for 42 days after delivery to identify early risk factors and intervene promptly. He noted that women also receive all necessary nutritional supplements throughout the postpartum period.
Fathy stressed that all laboratory tests are conducted with full confidentiality, using high-quality diagnostic kits and only after obtaining explicit informed consent from each woman.
According to the ministry, services offered under the initiative include full clinical examinations for mother and fetus; measurement of height, weight, and blood pressure; tetanus vaccination; and blood and urine tests to detect anaemia, infections, and communicable diseases. The programme also assesses the need for Anti-D injection after delivery and provides all required micronutrients and vitamins free of charge during pregnancy and postpartum.
The ministry added that the initiative has become an integrated part of daily services at primary healthcare units and maternal and child health centres across all governorates, helping sustain high-quality care for mothers and newborns nationwide.
