Egypt's Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, on Tuesday inaugurated the Excellence in Neurosurgery Conference—a major international scientific gathering that unites top specialists from Egypt and around the world to explore cutting-edge advancements and share expertise in neurosurgery. In his opening remarks, Abdel Ghaffar highlighted the significance of the conference, which comes amid major progress in a field that exemplifies the fusion of advanced technology, multidisciplinary collaboration, and skilled human resources to deliver superior patient care. He noted that the Ministry of Health has prioritized neurosurgery through its inclusion in the Presidential Initiative to Eliminate Waiting Lists, launched in 2018. This initiative has enabled over 183,000 neurosurgical operations and 14,000 cerebral catheterizations, ultimately saving thousands of lives. The minister also pointed to the establishment of seven internationally accredited stroke centers, with plans underway to expand the network so that every governorate has access to rapid intervention and improved outcomes. During the conference, Abdel Ghaffar witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Egyptian General Authority for Healthcare and the Egyptian Health Council. The agreement aims to unify training and specialization frameworks in line with Egypt's Vision 2030, which seeks to build a modern, high-quality healthcare system. Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairperson of the General Authority for Healthcare, congratulated Abdel Ghaffar on receiving the Distinguished Leadership Award from the European Council for African and Middle Eastern Companies (ECAM). The award recognizes his leadership of the Arab Health Ministers Council over four years and his efforts to advance Egypt's health sector. El-Sobky noted that under Egypt's Universal Health Insurance system, more than 10,000 neurosurgical procedures have been carried out—75% of which were complex, high-skill surgeries, including 6,000 performed in the past year alone. He credited these remarkable achievements to strong political backing and investment in modern technology, such as surgical microscopes and neuro-endoscopy systems, which have significantly enhanced patient outcomes and shortened recovery times. Hamdy Nabawy, conference chairman, underscored the importance of the event as a platform for scientific dialogue that will help raise standards of care in this highly specialized field. Professor Si-Hun Kim of Korea University expressed gratitude for the invitation, sharing his experience of performing spinal surgeries in Egypt. He emphasized that ensuring pain-free recovery and the best possible patient outcomes should remain at the heart of every neurosurgical practice.
