Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar affirmed on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Egypt’s swift support to Congo and Uganda in confronting Ebola outbreaks, through the provision of shipments of medicines, preventive supplies and thousands of doses of the locally manufactured drug Remdesivir in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The remarks were delivered during a high-level session of the Africa Health ExCon medical conference and exhibition, held under the theme “African health sovereignty: From dependency to strategic independence,” on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the event.
The session was attended by a distinguished group of senior officials, including former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, former health ministers, ambassadors, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), officials from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and high-level delegations from various African countries.
The minister defined “strategic health independence” as enabling African countries to protect public health, respond rapidly to medical emergencies, localize the production of essential health products and maintain positive global partnerships.
Abdel Ghaffar highlighted Egypt’s experience as a leading model in the region, pointing to the Universal Health Insurance System, which has already covered six governorates in its first phase and aims to extend coverage to an additional 18 million citizens in the second phase.
He also referenced the “100 Million Health” initiative, which successfully eliminated Hepatitis C as a public health threat, stressing Egypt’s readiness to share its expertise in prevention and early detection with African partners.
