Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said on Tuesday that the historic and strategic ties between Egypt and Türkiye make bilateral health cooperation "a cornerstone for achieving sustainable regional health security." Speaking at the opening of the 11th World Medical Congress in Ankara, held from 24 to 26 November 2025, Abdel Ghaffar stressed that the era of full dependence on imported medicines and medical supplies "is over," and that the coming phase must prioritise integrated regional manufacturing. The minister highlighted Egypt's "major progress" in combating infectious diseases, including the complete elimination of hepatitis C after screening 63 million citizens and reducing prevalence from over 14% to 0.38%. Egypt became the first country globally to receive the World Health Organization's gold certification for achieving this milestone. He also pointed to Egypt's success in controlling hepatitis B, eliminating trachoma by 2025, and declaring the country malaria-free after a century-long battle—achievements supported by advanced electronic surveillance systems. Abdel Ghaffar said these public health gains coincide with unprecedented growth in Egypt's pharmaceutical industry, now comprising 179 factories that supply more than 90% of the country's drug needs. He noted that Egypt's vaccine production facilities—VACSERA and the Egyptian Drug City "Gypto Pharma"—have become regional hubs capable of producing 2–3 million vaccine doses annually, with storage capacity of 60 million doses and plans to scale up to 700 million doses by 2027. He added that Egypt's 15 nationwide public health initiatives, the National Genome Project as a foundation for precision medicine, and Egypt's leadership of the first global resolution on rare diseases reflect the country's expanding health infrastructure. The nationwide Universal Health Insurance System, set to cover all Egyptians by 2030, will create a unified healthcare market of 110 million people, he said. Abdel Ghaffar concluded by calling for a "deep Egyptian–Turkish partnership" in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, and scientific research. He affirmed Egypt's readiness to support joint projects through the "golden licence" mechanism and exceptional investment facilitations, noting that such cooperation could become "a regional model for health security and sustainable development."
