According to a ministry statement, the services provided to date include early-detection campaigns, screenings for non-communicable diseases, follow-ups and treatment programmes. Investments in the first and second phases of the system have so far totalled EGP 48.5 billion.
Al-Mashat said the second phase will begin “soon,” targeting 12.4 million people across five governorates.
Up to EGP 20 billion will be directed to upgrading health facilities, with an additional $880 million expected from the World Bank, the French Development Agency, and Japan’s Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The first phase covered six governorates, reaching 5.1 million citizens. Investments there reached EGP 28.5 billion between 2018 and 2025, the ministry said.
Al-Mashat made the remarks at the High-Level Forum on Universal Health Insurance in Tokyo, attended by an Egyptian delegation led by Egyptian Healthcare Authority (EHA) Chairman Ahmed El-Sobky and Executive Director Mai Farid, in cooperation with the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Egypt also announced its participation in the Universal Health Coverage Knowledge Hub (UHC Hub), a platform for sharing health-policy expertise among Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and the Philippines.
The hub was launched by the Japanese government with the World Bank Group and the WHO.
Al-Mashat said achieving nationwide health-care coverage remains a government priority, supported by a series of presidential initiatives that have expanded screening and treatment services. She also stressed the need to deepen public-private partnerships, improve cost efficiency, and reform out-of-pocket spending, which continues to weigh heavily on households.
She added that funding for UHIS should not be viewed in isolation, noting that investment in water, sanitation, and broader infrastructure contributes directly to reducing disease burdens.
The minister also pointed to the Decent Life rural development programme, which has expanded the number of primary health-care units to more than 2,000, easing pressure on central and general hospitals.
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