Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar participated on Saturday in the "Medicine Sector" session within the activities of the Health Working Group meetings of the Group of 20, held from 18 to 19 August, in India. Abdel Ghaffar stressed the urgent need to ensure the right to health for all, as the pharmaceutical sector plays a pivotal role in global health, explaining the importance of strengthening cooperation in this field to ensure the well-being of societies. He pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic showed the importance of a strong and resilient pharmaceutical sector, as that crisis highlighted weaknesses in healthcare systems, and exposed health systems' gaps in preparing to confront pandemics. Abdel Ghaffar added that the rapid development of vaccine and drug technology, as well as diagnostic methods, is strong evidence of the scientific progress that countries have reached, despite the existence of disparities in access for all people, calling on everyone to work together to build a more equitable and inclusive future in fair access to medicines and vaccines, especially during health crises and pandemics. The Minister of Health and Population reviewed Egypt's experience over the past years in promoting local production of medicines and vital medical products, which was a basic pillar of the national health agenda. He stated that the Egyptian state has provided the necessary resources to enhance the national medical production capabilities, with the aim of providing safe, effective and high-quality medicine through the application of good manufacturing practices, which was clearly reflected in Egypt's productive capabilities, which helped produce the COVID-19 vaccine, through the Egyptian company VACSERA. The minister noted that the efforts of the Egyptian state culminated in the establishment of Gypto Pharma, which is the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in the entire Middle East region, with a production capacity of approximately 200 million packages of medicines annually. The minister added that more resources must be allocated in the main areas of health care, including scientific research for new treatments, especially in issues related to public health, epidemics, immunity and vaccines, through the development of geographically diverse research, development and manufacturing networks.
