Egypt Provides Rapid Support to Congo, Uganda to Contain Ebola Outbreaks

Egypt is extending swift support to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to combat Ebola outbreaks, providing essential shipments of medicines, preventive supplies, and locally manufactured Remdesivir doses. This aid is being delivered under the directives of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The announcement came during a high-level session at the Africa Health ExCon medical conference in Egypt, which focused on "African health sovereignty: From dependency to strategic independence." The session convened senior officials, including former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, former health ministers, ambassadors, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar defined "strategic health independence" as empowering African nations to safeguard public health, respond effectively to medical emergencies, localize the production of vital health products, and foster robust global partnerships. He presented Egypt's Universal Health Insurance System, which has already expanded to six governorates and plans to cover an additional 18 million citizens, and the successful "100 Million Health" initiative that eradicated Hepatitis C as a public health threat, as leading examples of Egypt's health sector advancements.

Abdel Ghaffar affirmed Egypt's readiness to share its expertise in disease prevention and early detection with its African counterparts, reinforcing the nation's commitment to regional health security and collaborative efforts in overcoming health challenges across the continent.

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Strategic health independence means enabling African countries to protect public health, respond rapidly to medical emergencies, localize the production of essential health products and maintain positive global partnerships.