Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, met with John Cassia, the Director General of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), along with his team on Sunday evening. The goal was to discuss ways to boost collaboration in the health sector.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, clarified that the talks revolved around future cooperation plans between Egypt and the center. There was a particular focus on the possibility of Egypt hosting the northern headquarters of the Africa CDC, which could significantly benefit multiple African countries in their fight against pandemics and health issues.
During the meeting, the importance of Egypt and the center working together to develop the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries locally was highlighted. Both parties stressed the need to streamline the exchange of medicines between countries. They also agreed on the importance of setting up an electronic platform for African countries to communicate their medicine needs, aiming to boost local manufacturing within Africa.
Abdel Ghaffar also pointed out the opportunities for increased collaboration in producing malaria drugs, a crucial area for Africa. Egypt already manufactures these medicines and exports them to countries like Uganda and South Sudan.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health extended an invitation to the Africa CDC delegation to visit pharmaceutical companies in Egypt to learn about the country’s capabilities in this sector.
The Director General of the Africa CDC reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing cooperation with Egypt, especially in building capacity and boosting local production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines across Africa. He also expressed interest in sharing Egypt’s experience in combating Hepatitis C with other African nations. Additionally, the center is prepared to assist in providing healthcare services for non-Egyptians living in Egypt.
