Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said on Monday that the healthcare sector ranks among the most attractive areas for investment in Egypt, describing healthcare not only as a social priority but also as a strategic economic investment that supports inclusive growth and human development.
Abdel Ghaffar made the remarks during a panel discussion on Egypt’s healthcare system held on the sidelines of the Egyptian-Swiss Economic Forum in Cairo, according to an official statement.
He stressed that effective public–private partnerships are critical to building resilient, innovative and inclusive health systems, highlighting the role of the private sector in expanding service delivery, enhancing efficiency and accelerating innovation.
The minister pointed to a series of economic and legislative reforms aimed at improving the investment climate, including a new investment law that ensures equal treatment for investors, simplifies licensing procedures and provides legal protections.
Abdel Ghaffar highlighted Egypt’s universal health insurance system as one of the country’s most significant structural reforms, noting that it separates financing, service provision and oversight. This framework, he said, creates transparent and sustainable opportunities for private-sector participation in areas such as diagnostics, treatment services and digital health solutions, while safeguarding quality and equity of care.
He also cited Egypt’s ongoing expansion of healthcare infrastructure, progress in digital transformation, and efforts to localise pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, positioning the country as an emerging regional hub for health services and healthcare-related industries.
The minister underscored the importance of aligning private-sector innovation with national health priorities through strong governance frameworks, interoperability standards, data governance and cybersecurity measures, particularly within the universal health insurance system.
He further referenced major presidential health initiatives, including the women’s health programme, describing them as leading models for early detection, prevention and population-wide screening.
Abdel Ghaffar added that cooperation with Switzerland could be further strengthened by combining Egypt’s advanced infrastructure and large domestic market with Swiss expertise in medical research, precision manufacturing and digital health innovation.
In related remarks, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib said the Egyptian–Swiss partnership represents a strong model of cooperation in precision industries and pharmaceuticals, while Swiss Ambassador to Cairo Andreas Baum stressed the importance of continued dialogue to deepen bilateral economic cooperation, the statement said.
