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Following the meeting held in Paris on Monday September 30, the Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, and representatives of the Agence française de développement (AFD) group reaffirmed their shared determination to continue providing technical and financial support for the roll-out of universal health coverage in Egypt, and to deepen ongoing cooperation in the health sector.
On the occasion of his visit to France for the Business Forum Egypt organized by Business France, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Human Development and Minister of Health and Population of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, met with Mr. Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of AFD group and Mr. Jérémie Pellet, Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France, to deepen their cooperation in the health and social protection sector in Egypt.
Support from the outset of this emblematic reform to improve living conditions for the most vulnerable
Provided for in the Egyptian Constitution of 2014 and launched in 2019, the gradual establishment of a universal insurance system covering the entire population is one of the foundations of the government's reform program in favor of social justice.
Since 2018, AFD has been supporting the implementation of this transformational reform for the country through two loans totaling 210 MEUR. This financial as well as technical cooperation has notably helped strengthen the authorities in charge of its deployment, such as the Economic Justice Unit of the Ministry of Finance, which ensures the proper articulation of this program, the Caisse d'Assurance Maladie (Universal Health Insurance Authority), which performs the functions of collecting contributions and purchasing healthcare, and the Egypt Healthcare Authority)which manages public healthcare structures. The latter has benefited from Expertise France's first support in Egypt since 2022.
In an economic context that is particularly hard on low-income households, the reform aims to reduce healthcare expenditure, thereby increasing purchasing power and gradually improving the conditions and life expectancy of the Egyptian population.
Finally, one of the challenges of this reform, which will be gradually rolled out throughout Egypt until 2032, lies in the need for accessible, quality healthcare. AFD is therefore supporting the improvement of primary healthcare services through a €25 million loan, part of which has been delegated to the World Bank.
Cooperation to be continued and extended to other areas of healthcare
The two parties expressed their shared interest in AFD Group continuing its technical and financial support for the roll-out of Egypt's social protection reform, and deepening its interventions in the health sector, in particular human resources in health; continuing to improve primary healthcare structures; support for vulnerable populations, etc.
- "During the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, I was able to reiterate that the AFD Group stands by the Egyptians to financially and technically support the country in its sustainable development trajectory, in particular by supporting the health and social protection system. More than 110 million Egyptians will be able to benefit from the ambitious national program of universal health coverage promoted by the Egyptian authorities” declared Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of the AFD group.
- Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt, added: “Every Egyptian citizen must have access to quality health care adapted to his or her needs, based on the principle of national solidarity. We are very proud that more than 6 million Egyptians can already benefit from this universal health coverage. We hope that AFD, which has been supporting us since the launch of this program in 2018, will continue its financial and institutional cooperation for the benefit of the most vulnerable. The ongoing improvement of primary healthcare is also a priority that we would be delighted to see French expertise support”.
Press contact:
AFD / desaintmartinp@afd.fr ; greissn@afd.fr
Embassy of Egypt in France / mahmoud.reda@mfa.gov.eg
About Agence française de développement :
Agence française de développement (AFD) implements France's development and international solidarity policies. Through its financing activities for the public sector and NGOs, its research and publications (Editions AFD), its training in sustainable development (Campus AFD) and its awareness-raising activities in France, it finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
We work with our partners to build shared solutions, with and for the people of the South. Our teams are involved in over 4,000 projects in the field, in the French overseas territories, in 115 countries and in territories in crisis, for common goods - climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality, education and health. In this way, we are contributing to France's and the French people's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For a world in common.
More information on www.afd.fr