Health Minister: Egypt a Global Model in Eliminating Hepatitis C

CAIRO – 22 May 2026: Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar affirmed on Friday that Egypt has achieved a historic transformation, becoming a successful global model in eliminating hepatitis C.

He praised the World Health Organization’s 2026 report, which highlighted Egypt’s achievements and the comprehensive healthcare transformation the country has witnessed under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The remarks came during the minister’s speech at the opening of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) conference, held on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Abdel Ghaffar reviewed the achievements of the “100 Million Healthy Lives” initiative, which included screening nearly 63 million citizens over the age of 12 and treating more than 4 million patients free of charge using locally manufactured medications.

These efforts significantly reduced treatment costs and transformed Egypt from one of the countries most affected by hepatitis C into the first country in the world to receive gold-tier certification for eliminating the disease in October 2023.

The minister noted that Egypt recently became the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to achieve the regional target for combating hepatitis B.

He added that Egypt’s efforts contributed to a 34% reduction in the regional burden of infection, marking the largest global decline recorded between 2015 and 2024. He also emphasized that this success extended beyond Egypt’s borders through technical and pharmaceutical support provided to 11 African and Asian countries.

Abdel Ghaffar explained that Egypt is now moving toward integrating liver diseases into its broader strategies for non-communicable diseases, particularly metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is considered one of the most pressing emerging health challenges.

He stressed the importance of prevention, strengthening primary healthcare, and integrating liver health into the global agenda for non-communicable diseases.

The minister concluded his remarks by reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to achieving the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030 and maintaining its leadership role in global efforts to integrate metabolic and liver health. He stressed that “health is not a privilege for a select few, but a fundamental human right.”