Jean Kasaya praises Egypt's leading role in strengthening Africa's health security system

CAIRO – 11 June 2026: Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad, and Dr. Jean Kasaya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation in supporting Africa's health system and pharmaceutical security during a phone call on Thursday.

Minister Abdelatty expressed his appreciation for the ongoing communication with the Africa CDC, praising the organization's role in strengthening health security across the continent.

He emphasized the importance Egypt attaches to the health sector as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development in Africa and reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to share its expertise and pioneering experiences in the health and pharmaceutical fields. He also highlighted the country's commitment to supporting capacity-building programs and strengthening responses to public health emergencies.

The minister further underscored existing cooperation in the provision of medical supplies and vaccines, as well as efforts to promote continental integration in the health sector. He noted that such cooperation contributes to improving the efficiency of health systems across African countries and enhances their ability to respond to health crises effectively and sustainably.

For his part, Dr. Kasaya expressed his deep appreciation for Egypt’s continued support of African health initiatives. He praised Egypt’s swift response to the Ebola outbreak, noting that it was among the first countries to provide medical and pharmaceutical assistance to affected nations.

He also commended Egypt’s leading role in strengthening the continent’s health security system and supporting collective efforts to address health challenges and cross-border disease outbreaks. Dr. Kasaya expressed his hope for continued coordination and cooperation to further enhance health security across Africa.