He stressed that access to healthcare is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of human security, economic stability, and sustainable development.
Gamaleldin was speaking at the opening session of the fifth edition of Africa Health ExCon 2026, held in Cairo under the theme “Health Sovereignty in Africa: Leadership, Resilience, and Self-Reliance.”
The NCHR chief said that health sovereignty should be measured not only by a country’s ability to manufacture medicines or expand healthcare infrastructure, but also by its capacity to guarantee uninterrupted access to quality healthcare services for all citizens, particularly during times of crisis.
The session brought together senior Egyptian government officials, healthcare leaders, international organizations, and development partners to discuss strategies aimed at strengthening healthcare supply chains and enhancing national and regional health security.
Participants included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy, Head of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement Hisham Stait, World Health Organization Representative in Egypt Nima Saeed Abid, and several senior officials from Egypt’s healthcare sector.
Gamaleldin noted that international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, recognize the right to health as a fundamental human right.
He added that Egypt’s Constitution likewise obliges the state to protect and promote this right.
“The right to health extends beyond access to treatment when illness occurs,” he said. “It encompasses the availability, accessibility, quality, and acceptability of healthcare services, while remaining closely linked to other rights, including access to food, clean water, sanitation, education, and a healthy environment.”
Reflecting on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gamaleldin said the crisis exposed vulnerabilities in global healthcare systems, disruptions in supply chains, and deep inequalities in access to vaccines, medicines, and medical technologies.
These developments, he argued, reinforced the importance of strengthening national capacities while maintaining effective international cooperation.
“Health sovereignty does not mean isolation,” he said. “Self-reliance and international cooperation are complementary rather than contradictory. Strong national and regional capacities make international partnerships more balanced, sustainable, and equitable.”
The NCHR president also highlighted Africa’s opportunity to play a greater role in shaping the future of global health governance.
Rather than remaining a recipient of solutions developed elsewhere, the continent should become an active contributor to scientific innovation, healthcare policy, and international decision-making, he said.
He stressed that investment in healthcare professionals, scientific research, and innovation remains essential to achieving health sovereignty.
Physicians, nurses, researchers, and healthcare workers, he noted, represent the foundation of resilient health systems and the first line of defence against future health emergencies.
Gamaleldin further emphasized the importance of universal health coverage, reducing geographical and social disparities in healthcare access, and providing special attention to vulnerable groups.
He also called for stronger governance mechanisms, greater transparency, and broader public participation in health policymaking.
Addressing rapid advances in digital health and artificial intelligence, he urged policymakers to establish robust legal and ethical frameworks capable of protecting privacy, preventing discrimination, and ensuring equitable access to the benefits of technological progress.
“Health sovereignty should not be measured by the number of hospitals built or medicines produced,” he said. “Its true measure lies in people’s ability to obtain the healthcare they need, when they need it, with adequate quality and without discrimination or excessive financial burdens.”
Concluding his remarks, Gamaleldin described health sovereignty as a broader developmental and civilizational project that seeks to protect human dignity and expand opportunities for future generations.
The challenge facing nations today, he said, is not only to build stronger health systems but also to ensure that scientific and technological progress serves all people fairly and equitably.
“Ultimately,” he said, “health sovereignty is the ability to ensure that no human being is deprived of the right to health, dignity, and life.”
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