Egypt will automatically register all citizens currently enrolled in state-approved cash and social support programmes, such as Takaful and Karama, into the country's comprehensive health insurance system, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Sunday. Under the new directive, the Ministry of Social Solidarity is required to provide updated data on eligible individuals to the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance on a periodic basis. The move is part of a broader government effort to provide high-quality healthcare to the most vulnerable groups within existing social protection frameworks. The announcement came during a meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Social Justice, where the government also reviewed the rollout of the Unified Government Services Card. The card began operating for the distribution of food commodities and bread in Port Said in April 2025, serving approximately 41,500 families in the pilot governorate. Officials confirmed that data update forms are currently being processed in preparation for a gradual nationwide expansion of the card to centralise databases and improve the governance of the subsidy system. "The state treats the subsidy system as a vital file that directly touches the lives of citizens," Madbouly said, adding that the government aims to achieve "the highest levels of social justice" by enhancing the efficiency of public spending while weighing economic and social dimensions. Madbouly stated that the government is focused on strengthening social protection for target groups through integrated databases and comprehensive technical, economic, and social studies. He emphasised the state's commitment to the "low-income" segment and the provision of various protection programmes to ensure a "decent life" for them. Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsany said the meeting also addressed the importance of support programmes for "middle-income" citizens to help them manage the burdens caused by successive global crises over recent years. The committee reviewed the current progress of data purification and auditing for the food and bread subsidy systems, describing it as a "pivotal and essential step" in the development of the sector. The meeting concluded with an emphasis on the total digitisation of the subsidy system. This transition is intended to maintain an up-to-date database to improve distribution planning and allow the Unified Card system to add new eligible individuals or families with greater flexibility, thereby expanding the reach of social protection to those most in need. The meeting was attended by Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population; Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation; Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment; Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance; Maya Morsy, Minister of Social Solidarity; Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities; Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Mohamed Gobran, Minister of Labour; and Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, alongside other senior officials.
