Minister of Health: 16 presidential initiatives delivered 289 million medical services and transformed into national investments yielding health and economic returns
Cairo - Nadeh Imam: Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, announced that 289.359 million medical services have been provided to millions of citizens through the Presidential Public Health Initiatives since the launch of the first initiative in 2018 under the slogan “100 Million Health.” He emphasized that the system, which currently comprises 16 initiatives, has provided free screening, early detection, and treatment services for various age groups and all segments of society. This has contributed to early disease detection, rapid intervention, and improved quality of life, representing an investment in citizens’ health whose impact extends to families, society, and the national economy by reducing the cost of illness and increasing productivity.
Dr. Hussam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry, clarified that the initiatives began with the campaign to eradicate hepatitis C virus and early detection of non-communicable diseases, which screened more than 60 million citizens and provided free treatment. They then expanded to include over 71.8 million screenings for primary school students to detect malnutrition (anemia, obesity, and stunting), involving more than 19.4 million students, as part of efforts to combat hepatitis C and non-communicable diseases. Additionally, more than 10.2 million newborns were screened for early detection of hearing impairment and loss, with hearing aids, cochlear implants, and pharmaceutical treatment provided. Four million students benefited from the “Our Children’s Eyes Are Our Future” initiative, which provided glasses, surgical interventions, and medications.
He added that the initiatives placed great emphasis on women’s health, recording more than 72.1 million visits under the Egyptian Women’s Health Support initiative, which included screenings and early detection of breast cancer, hundreds of thousands of mammogram tests, sample collection, and treatment. More than 4.1 million women benefited from the Mother and Fetus Health Care initiative, which screened pregnant women for infectious diseases. Services for early detection of chronic diseases and kidney disorders were provided to more than 23 million citizens. More than 2.3 million elderly citizens and over 5.7 million prospective spouses benefited from screenings for genetic diseases. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of newborns were screened, and more than 20.3 million citizens were screened for early detection of lung, colon, prostate, and cervical cancers. The Mental Health Support initiative, “Your Health is Happiness,” included surveys and tests for mental and cognitive health and autism spectrum disorder, with follow-up for positive cases.
The official spokesperson confirmed that the initiatives have evolved from preventive and treatment programs into strategic national investments yielding sustainable health and economic returns. Health spending is no longer merely a cost but an investment that reduces long-term treatment and care costs, minimizes productivity losses due to chronic diseases, disabilities, and premature deaths, and preserves the workforce. The early detection of hepatitis C virus initiative achieved an economic return of 359%, saving approximately 16 billion Egyptian pounds in direct medical costs and avoiding productivity losses estimated at 6.9 billion pounds. The Women’s Health Support initiative achieved a return of 57%, while the early detection of hearing impairment in newborns initiative yielded a return of 245%. The Mother and Fetus Health initiative saved approximately 1.8 billion pounds, with an investment return of 43%.
Regarding chronic diseases, the initiatives contributed to limiting economic losses from high blood pressure, reducing associated mortality rates by 32.6%, and by 26% for diabetes. He emphasized that early detection enables faster, less expensive treatment and prevents complications that drain household incomes and affect work capacity and productivity.
