Egypt commemorated a decade of the "Takaful and Karama" social protection initiative with a national celebration highlighting its impact on millions of vulnerable citizens and its evolving role in empowering communities. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar described the programme's launch as a milestone in the government's efforts to support the country's most disadvantaged populations. He credited President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's vision and the Ministry of Social Solidarity's partnership with the World Bank for transforming the initiative into a regional model for integrated social protection. The celebration, held under the theme "Social Protection: Lessons from the Past Shaping the Future," was organized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Distinguished attendees included former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova, and British Ambassador to Cairo Gareth Bayley, along with high-level officials and international partners. Abdel Ghaffar highlighted the measurable impact of the Takaful programme, which links cash assistance to school attendance and regular health checkups. Since 2018, school attendance among beneficiaries has increased by 8%, and child vaccination rates have risen by 12%, according to official monitoring data. Meanwhile, the Karama programme has extended unconditional financial support to more than 1.39 million families, primarily targeting the elderly and persons with disabilities. "This is a national declaration that no one in Egypt will be left behind," Abdel Ghaffar affirmed. Together, Takaful and Karama now serve over 2.5 million families—benefiting more than 21 million citizens—making it one of the largest and most accurately targeted cash transfer programmes in the region, and arguably the most comprehensive in Egypt's modern history. The Minister also emphasized a strategic shift from protection to empowerment, and from welfare to productivity, with the goal of enabling beneficiaries to achieve greater self-reliance. He outlined the Health Ministry's contribution to improving outcomes among recipient families, noting a drop in under-five child mortality from 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 22.3 in 2021, and a decrease in maternal mortality from 52 to 43 per 100,000 live births over the same period. He called for sustained cooperation among government ministries, the World Bank, and civil society to further integrate social protection with health care and economic opportunity—leveraging technology and community trust to drive sustainable transformation. These efforts, he added, align with Egypt's Vision 2030 and its long-term focus on human capital development. The event drew broad participation, including Stefan G. G. Jembert, World Bank Country Director for Egypt and Yemen; members of Egypt's Parliament and Senate; representatives from the National Alliance for Civil Development Work; NGOs; foreign entities operating in Egypt; and prominent public figures.
