Structure of the Healthcare

In Egypt, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is responsible for overseeing and managing primary healthcare centers, district hospitals, general hospitals, as well as integrated and specialized hospitals. Primary healthcare includes preventive and curative services in basic healthcare.

Financing Healthcare

The Universal Health Insurance (UHI) law that came into effect in 2018 has fueled transformation of the sector in recent years. The insurance package, which started in July 2019 in the governorate of Port Said, will be implemented in phases in select hospitals across governorates. It is expected to be fully implemented by 2023.

The coverage is expected to advance access to healthcare to low-income citizens and lower citizens’ healthcare expenses.

Investment Opportunities

Lucrative opportunities to invest in Egypt’s healthcare space include:

• Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals

• Medical Tourism

• Medical Training Facilities

Start Ups & Technology

Health-tech startups that are revamping healthcare services include:

• Chefaa

• Vezeeta

• Shezlong

• D-Kimia

• Doctoorum

Technologies and innovations employed by these companies include but are not limited to:

• Telehealth

• E-Pharmacy

• Artificial Intelligence

• Digital Health

• Health Information Systems

Challenges

The healthcare system faces a number of challenges including:

• Shortages in staff, medicine, and equipment (exacerbated while combating COVID-19)

• Access to healthcare

• Chronic health conditions (such as Hepatitis C) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

• Counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products

Solutions

• The government made efforts to reduce the number of pre-medical education from six to five years, instructed medical schools to increase their acceptance rates, while also allowing medical students to graduate early. This has helped increase the number of healthcare personnel in the country.

• The Universal Healthcare Insurance model is currently being rolled out allows Egyptians to get access to affordable healthcare.

• Widespread screening and treatment is free of charge in hospitals, screening vehicles, and shopping malls, which has made early disease detection possible. This has enabled the country to set up centers for prevention and cure.

• In 2019, MoHP established the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) to act as a regulator to manage pharmaceutical drugs registration and pricing, improve standards, slow the sale of counterfeit drugs, and ensure medicine is available to every patient in need.