Dr. Abdel-Ghaffar made his remarks during the opening session of the fourth edition of the Al-Ahram Pharmaceutical Conference, held in Cairo under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, with the theme: “Facing Challenges and Promoting Innovation.”

Reducing the country's reliance on imported drugs would contribute to resolving foreign currency shortages, which have impacted drug availability, noted the health minister.

He said Egypt is one of the highest consumers of medications globally and has a culture of self-medicating without prescriptions.

Dr. Abdel-Ghaffar warned that antibiotic resistance could result in the deaths of 10 million people worldwide by 2050, urging stricter controls on antibiotic consumption.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing
 

For his part, Journalist Maged Mounier, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram, emphasized that pharmaceutical manufacturing has been one of Egypt's most strategic industries since the early 20th century.

In his speech at the conference, Mounier highlighted that “Today, 90 percent of Egyptian drug consumption is locally produced, with the number of pharmaceutical factories increasing by one-third over the past decade, reaching 172 factories, and production lines nearly doubling.”

Mounier also noted that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market is the largest in the Middle East and North Africa in drug consumption with sales exceeding $3 billion and private sector companies producing about 85 percent of the drugs in Egypt.

Al-Ahram's Editor-in-Chief pointed out that Egypt's pharmaceutical exports have reached $1 billion annually, and there is a national ambition, recently expressed by Prime Minister Madbouly, to increase these exports by 50 percent to $1.5 billion.

Under the leadership of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt has shown unprecedented interest in the pharmaceutical sector as part of its commitment to providing better healthcare for Egyptians, he noted.

The theme of this year’s conference, "Facing Challenges and Promoting Innovation," addresses the regulatory and legislative challenges affecting local and multinational companies, and the need for fostering pharmaceutical innovation and supporting research and education to meet global standards, he added.

Moreover, Mounier noted that the conference also focuses on the future of scientific research in the context of clinical trials legislation, the potential for collaboration between the public and private sectors in promoting equitable healthcare, and the role of artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis.

“Al-Ahram recognizes the pharmaceutical industry as a national security issue and has been organizing an annual pharmaceutical conference to encourage further dialogue and innovation in this critical sector,” he said.

Foreign investments
 

Furthermore, Mohamed Fayez Farhat, Chairman of Al-Ahram Foundation, announced that the conference addressed several key topics, including enhancing and localizing the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry, attracting foreign investments, and financial reform within the sector.

Another focus was the global transformations in the pharmaceutical industry since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Egypt, among other countries, working to strengthen local drug production, he noted.

Farhat also highlighted that Al-Ahram has strengthened its developmental roles through its pharmaceutical conferences and various other platforms and initiatives since 2014.

He added that the fourth edition of Al-Ahram’s conference focuses on boosting the pharmaceutical industry by presenting recommendations for localizing Egyptian drug manufacturing.

Locally produced medicines
 

For his part, Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din, the President’s Health and Prevention Advisor, emphasized the need to instill confidence in locally produced medicines.

Dr. Tag El-Din pointed out that Egypt has successfully localized insulin production and launched a plasma manufacturing project, exporting its products and filling local gaps in this vital medicine supply.

For his part, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority Ali Ghamrawy said 85 percent of medications needed in the local market have been secured with the aim of reaching 100 percent in the coming weeks.

Ghamrawy highlighted the importance of fair pricing and ensuring the quality of locally produced medicines.

During the conference, Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairman of the General Authority for Healthcare and overseer of the Universal Health Insurance Project, pointed out that 2 billion people globally lack access to essential medications.

El-Sobky praised Egypt’s progress in pharmaceutical localization and its ability to expand exports, particularly to African markets, with projected export growth to $3 billion by 2030.

Additionally, Mohamed Maait, Chairman of the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance and former Minister of Finance, said Egypt has significant opportunities to expand pharmaceutical exports, especially to Africa, which will bolster the national economy and create job opportunities.

For his part, Chairman of the Unified Procurement Authority Bahaa Zidan highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, European countries, including the UK, relied on Egyptian factories for medical supplies, reflecting the high quality of Egypt's medical products.

Al-Ahram Foundation Pharmaceutical Conference emphasized the critical role of public-private partnerships in developing Egypt's pharmaceutical industry and strengthening its export capabilities, with Egypt positioned to become a regional leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing.