Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghafar, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health and Population, received an international certificate from the World Health Organization, trusting the success of the Egyptian state in achieving the regional goal of controlling viral hepatitis type “B”, thus becoming the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean region to achieve this level of control, in a step described as outstanding on the regional and international levels.
This happened during the celebration of the declaration of Egypt as the first state to reach the regional level for the control of viral hepatitis B, where the minister confirmed at the beginning of his speech that the Egyptian state, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is weakening the health file in its first presidency, based on the national vision, the ambition is to protect the concepts of health security, and to localize the pharmaceutical and vaccine industry.
In attendance were Dr. Omar Qandeel, Deputy Minister of Health, and Dr. Ahmed Taha, President of the General Authority for Health Assurance and Control, as well as representatives of international partners and national health institutions.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health and Population, said that this achievement constitutes a significant turning point in the path of the Egyptian health system, and reflects the commitment of the old state to all institutions to protect the health of the citizen and to promote prevention and comprehensive health coverage, adding that viral hepatitis B still represents one of the most prominent health challenges globally, given its serious implications if it is not met, noting that the World Health Organization has set a goal to eliminate it by 2030.
The minister presented the efforts of the Ministry of Health represented in the preventive medicine sector from 2008 to 2024, noting that the rate of transmission of the virus in the age groups under 60 years decreased by 15% compared to 2015, while the rate of infection among children under the age of 10 decreased by 50%, so that the rate among those under the age of five is less than 1%, according to the results of the national survey.
He pointed to what Egypt has achieved in the fight against vaccine-targeted diseases, as the country obtained the international certificate of freedom from polio, in addition to the success in eliminating measles, German measles, congenital German measles syndrome, neonatal tetanus and diphtheria, and pointed out that these achievements complement what the preventive sector is doing in the fight against hepatitis viruses, through the activities of monitoring and laboratory monitoring and infection control.
Abdul Ghafar explained that the expanded vaccination program is one of the main pillars in achieving this achievement, thanks to its high coverage, systematic planning and integration between the central and field teams, where the vaccination coverage rate reached 95%, and the vaccination infrastructure was updated through the digital transformation and the mechanization of procedures, which made it possible to make decisions based on accurate real-time data, and contributed to improving the rates of access to the service, reducing the risk and achieving health justice, in addition improving the cooling system and improving the efficiency of the workers.
He pointed out that the state’s efforts are focused on making vaccination against the B virus available free of charge to all newborns in Egypt, both Egyptian and non-Egyptian, with a birth dose during the first hours of the child’s life, and providing immune globulin to newborns of mothers who carry the virus, to protect them from infection.
The ministry’s efforts were not limited to children, but extended to include the most vulnerable groups, such as the medical team, those in contact with infected cases, kidney patients, and those infected with HIV. national life
The minister pointed out that this success would not have been achieved without the collective efforts and tight coordination between the partners, from the working group within the ministry to the World Health Organization and the international supporting institutions, believing that the Egyptian experience represents a successful model in the integration of political will with technical and institutional support, and that collective action, strategic planning and national commitment are able to turn challenges into real achievements.
Abd al-Ghaffar concluded his speech with thanks and appreciation to the workers in the preventive medicine sector in all the governorates of the Republic, and to all the local and international partners who contributed to this achievement, calling it a source of pride for every Egyptian citizen.
For her part, Dr. Hanan Balkhi, the regional representative for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization, congratulated the Egyptian government on this achievement, and on achieving the regional goal of controlling viral hepatitis, affirming that Egypt has the human resources to compete globally, explaining that the regional verification committee concluded that Egypt has achieved the main target indicators, on top of that, reducing the rate of transmission of the virus among children who are at least five years old. 1%, and coverage exceeds 90% for the third dose of the vaccine for more than ten years, and 90% for the first dose over five years.
For his part, Dr. Hisham Steit, head of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Medical Procurement, Supply and Supply, praised this achievement, stressing that it would not have been achieved without the support of the political leadership and the integration of state institutions, led by the Ministry of Health, which put the fight against hepatitis viruses at the top of its strategic priorities, achieving subsequent successes, pointing out that the authority contributed actively through the provision of vaccines and medical supplies according to the highest standards of transparency and efficiency.
He added that the Egyptian experience proves that institutional integration is the best way to achieve national health goals, pointing out that this achievement does not only represent medical progress, but moral and human commitment to the health of the citizen.
As for Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawi, the head of the Egyptian Medicines Authority, he explained that the progress made by the country in this matter is the result of the full commitment to adopt global strategies for public health, first of all vaccination prevention, in line with the goals of sustainable development and Egypt’s vision 2030, and he confirmed that the authority played a major role in achieving this achievement through the control and management of the regulatory processes for the provision of vaccines, and the production of them in partnership with local and regional entities, in order to enhance drug security. والاكتفاء التحميل
In turn, Dr. Naema Abed, representative of the World Health Organization in Egypt, praised the efforts of the Egyptian state in improving public health and investing in human capital, confirming that Egypt deserves this recognition as the first country in the region to achieve this goal, thanks to its strong capabilities and skills in the health field.
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