Egypt's Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, met with senior officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday to discuss joint mechanisms for supporting health sectors affected by ongoing global crises. The talks centered on both short- and long-term strategies to rebuild medical capabilities in conflict zones and train national healthcare teams to international standards. The meeting, held at the Health Ministry headquarters in the New Capital, focused on enhancing coordination with the WHO to expedite humanitarian assistance—including facilitating the transfer of patients from crisis-affected areas for treatment in Egyptian hospitals. Abdel Ghaffar emphasized the importance of translating existing agreements into immediate field actions to strengthen the health sector's emergency response capacity. Discussions also addressed the formation of a specialized national medical team for rapid deployment in crisis situations, as well as rehabilitation of damaged health infrastructure as part of broader efforts to improve sustainable emergency preparedness and resilience in the region. The WHO delegation was led by Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme at WHO headquarters in Geneva, and Naeema Al Gasseer, WHO Representative in Egypt. Both officials commended the quality of services observed during recent visits to Egyptian healthcare facilities and expressed readiness to expand cooperation by identifying priority needs and developing actionable plans to address health challenges in crisis-affected areas, including Gaza and Sudan. Senior officials from Egypt's Health Ministry and WHO experts attended the meeting. No additional technical or financial details were disclosed.
