Egypt's Ministry of Health signed Tuesday a memorandum of understanding with drugmaker Viatris to expand mental health services under the country's presidential initiative. The agreement will support public awareness campaigns, professional training, and the development of diagnostic, treatment, and prevention programmes for mental disorders, the ministry said. More than 5,000 healthcare providers across the country have already received training under related initiatives. The MoU was witnessed by Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and signed by Ayman Abbas, head of the Central Administration of the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, and Mohamed Sweilem, Viatris' Cluster Head Egypt and North Africa. The partnership also covers training, scientific research, and the modernisation of service delivery, including upgrading the electronic platform used by the national mental health support initiative. The agreement aims to raise public awareness and contribute to Egypt's Vision 2030 goals for mental healthcare. Ayman Mokhtar, Viatris' Regional President MENA and EURASIA, said effective mental healthcare requires an integrated approach that ensures accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment and sustained patient support, highlighting the importance of public–private partnerships. On the sidelines of the signing, Abdel Ghaffar discussed the rollout of early-diagnosis tools, expanded media campaigns, and culturally tailored educational materials. Programmjes will target depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, addiction, and mental health challenges among pregnant women, the elderly, and patients with chronic illnesses. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
