Minister of Foreign Affairs , Dr. Badr Abdelatty, received on Monday, December 29, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, in the presence of the Head of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, Medical Supply, and Technology Management (UPA), Dr. Hisham Stait.
Minister Abdelatty praised the ongoing cooperation between Egypt and the Africa CDC, which aims to advance the health and pharmaceutical cooperation agenda across the African continent. He affirmed the importance Egypt attaches to the health sector as one of the main pillars of sustainable development in Africa, expressing Egypt’s full readiness to transfer its successful health and pharmaceutical expertise and experiences to sisterly African countries.
Minister Abdelatty also highlighted the centrality of capacity-building programs organized by Egypt through the Ministry of Health and Population, in cooperation with the Africa CDC, across various health and pharmaceutical fields. These programs contribute to strengthening the health capacities of African states. He referred to the cooperation between the Egyptian UPA and the Africa CDC in organizing the Africa Health ExCon exhibition, which has become a continental platform bringing together all relevant actors and stakeholders in the fields of health and pharmaceuticals in Africa. This aligns with Egypt’s ongoing efforts to promote integration and exchange of expertise in all domains with African countries, particularly in the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
In this context, Minister Abdelatty emphasized the importance Egypt places on deepening its partnership with the Africa CDC, particularly in developing mechanisms for rapid response to emergency health challenges and providing medical assistance and essential supplies—especially in the areas of vaccines and emergency medical equipment—to enhance the ability of African states to confront health crises effectively and sustainably.
Minister Abdelatty also commended the Egyptian professionals working within the Africa CDC, affirming Egypt’s readiness to provide its medical and technical expertise and personnel in support of the organization’s work. He highlighted the presidential health initiatives launched under the auspices of the President of the Republic, foremost among them the “Elimination of Hepatitis C” initiative and the “100 Million Healthy Lives” initiative. He expressed Egypt’s readiness to transfer these experiences to African countries in a way that expands African citizens’ access to Egyptian medicines and healthcare services.
For his part, the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention expressed his great appreciation for Egypt’s advanced capabilities in the health and pharmaceutical fields. He praised the pioneering role Egypt plays in supporting the public health system on the African continent, and he expressed his aspiration to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in the coming period, seeking to benefit from its accumulated experience in supporting the Africa CDC’s efforts to enhance health security in Africa.
