Egypt's presidential initiative for early cancer detection has screened more than 13.3 million people since its launch in mid-2023, as part of a nationwide drive to improve prevention and offer free treatment, the Cabinet's Media Centre said Sunday. The initiative targets both men and women aged 18 and above, focusing on early diagnosis of lung, colon, prostate, cervical, and breast cancers. Egypt recently earned a Guinness World Record the fastest rate of cancer screenings — eight tests per minute — across five cancer types. The campaign, launched under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is a key part of Egypt's plan to build an integrated healthcare system and expand universal health coverage in line with international standards. Between June 2023 and mid-September 2025, a total of 831,581 people have been referred to healthcare institutions nationwide for early cancer testing, the data showed. These include 19,533 cases referred to hospitals affiliated with the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, 310,121 cases to hospitals under the Curative Care Sector, and 277,418 cases to facilities run by the Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA). Diagnostic methods vary by cancer type — from FIT tests and colonoscopies for colon cancer, to HPV tests for cervical cancer, PSA blood tests for prostate cancer, and low-dose CT scans for lung cancer. Egypt aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, the statement added, as part of broader efforts to combat non-communicable diseases and strengthen preventive healthcare nationwide. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
