Egypt health minister cites spending gains
Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar highlighted 16 presidential initiatives benefiting 95 million citizens with LE44 billion.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stated on Tuesday that Egypt's leadership support for the healthcare sector is unprecedented. He spoke at the Egypt Forum 2026, recalling a significant disease burden and inadequate budgets in 2014. The minister said state development plans have improved the sector, pointing to 16 presidential initiatives that cost LE44 billion and reached 95 million citizens.
Abdel Ghaffar stressed that healthcare success is measured by citizen experience, not just spending. However, government data shows a decline in public hospital beds from 98,291 in 2013 to 84,225 in 2024, while private beds increased. The total number of hospital beds nationwide decreased from 124,300 in 2013 to 120,239 in 2024.
Egypt has not met the constitutional mandate of allocating at least three percent of GNP to public healthcare since 2014, with spending rarely exceeding 1.7 percent. For the current fiscal year, the government allocated 1.51 percent of GNP. A new calculation method, including off-budget entities like police and military hospitals, is now used to claim the minimum spending threshold is met.
Why it mattersEgyptians are affected by a decrease in public hospital beds despite government claims of healthcare spending success.