Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar held a meeting with a delegation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to follow up on the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC). The meeting reviewed the Health Ministry's efforts under the GICC, launched in 2018 by the WHO and St. Jude Hospital to improve treatment and raise cure rates to 60 per cent by 2030, which Egypt joined in September 2023. Abdel Ghaffar reviewed Egypt's efforts to expand access to essential medicines, improve technology, and ensure the sustainability and quality of medical services, highlighting the launch of a national committee on childhood cancer in February 2024 to assess current care standards and update treatment protocols in line with international best practices. The minister said Egypt would assume a key advisory role within the initiative in 2025, supporting other participating countries—a reflection of Egypt's growing regional leadership in paediatric oncology. The meeting also outlined the initiative's goals, including raising public awareness, enhancing medical supply availability, strengthening health infrastructure, reducing childhood cancer mortality, and establishing a regional model for excellence in the Middle East. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
