Egypt Unveils Ambitious 2025-2029 National Digital Health Strategy

Egypt Charts Course for Fully Digitized Healthcare by 2029

Egypt officially unveiled its ambitious 2025-2029 National Digital Health Strategy on Saturday, November 15, at the 3rd World Congress on Population, Health and Development (PHDC'25) in Cairo. The comprehensive roadmap sets the foundation for achieving a fully digitized health system across the nation by 2029. The strategy was presented by Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, and was held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

This initiative is a crucial component of Egypt's broader 'Digital Egypt 2030' transformation strategy and aligns with the country's 'Egypt Vision 2030' for sustainable development. It underscores the government's commitment to leveraging technology to enhance healthcare services and improve public well-being.

Pillars of Digital Transformation

At the core of the new strategy is the creation of an integrated digital ecosystem designed to modernize health services through the systematic use of information and communication technologies. Key measures outlined in the strategy include:

• Unifying national health data to support decision-making and improve care quality.
• Building secure and interoperable platforms and systems.
• Expanding access to digital services for faster and more reliable patient follow-up.
• Establishing an integrated, human-centered digital health system.

The strategy also emphasizes strengthening the performance and resilience of Egypt's healthcare system through data-driven decision-making and enhancing its capacity to respond to emerging challenges, a priority highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anticipated Benefits and Existing Foundations

The implementation of this strategy is expected to bring significant improvements, including a potential reduction in patient waiting times for services by up to 60%. Egypt benefits from a dynamic ICT sector and an internet penetration rate exceeding 80%, providing a favorable environment for digital health solutions.

The country has already laid groundwork for this transformation through various initiatives, such as the registration of millions of electronic medical records under the universal health insurance system and the emergence of new platforms for telemedicine, hospital automation, and AI-assisted medical analysis.

Challenges and Collaborative Efforts

Despite the favorable conditions, the strategy acknowledges several challenges that must be addressed. These include disparities in digital access between urban and rural areas, the need for extensive training of health professionals in new digital tools, and strengthening cybersecurity to protect sensitive patient data. Improving connectivity in underserved areas will also be crucial for equitable adoption of services.

The strategy's development involved collaboration among various entities, including the Ministry of Health and Population, the Egyptian Drug Authority, the Unified Procurement Authority, the Healthcare Authority, the Universal Health Insurance Authority, and the World Health Organization, underscoring a collective commitment to its success.