Egypt’s successful health model offers lessons for other African countries

Egypt’s experience in eliminating Hepatitis C offers core lessons in how a mix of domestic production, coordinated procurement, and targeted public health investment can strengthen health sovereignty. 

Egypt’s Health and Population Minister, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, told the recently concluded Alamein Africa Forum that the country had screened more than 60 million people and provided locally produced treatment free to more than four million patients. 

In 2023, Egypt was the first country in the world to achieve the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘gold tier’ status for its rapid progress in diagnosing and treating Hepatitis C, a condition the global organisation estimates affects 58 million people across the world.

“Egypt is an example to the world of what can be achieved with modern tools, and political commitment at the highest level to use those tools to prevent infections and save lives,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said at the time.

At the Alamein Africa Forum in early October, Ghaffar said Africa carries about a quarter of the global disease burden but produces only around 3% of the world’s medicines and imports more than 70% of what it uses. 

The African pharmaceutical market is projected to be at a $50bn valuation by 2030, while external health financing fell by almost 70% between 2021 and 2025. 

“When public money buys medicine, it should also strengthen our own industrial base,” he said.

Import substitution

The minister said much of Africa’s existing manufacturing capacity is underused, with pharmaceutical plants operating at only 30% to 60% of capacity, compared with more than 70% in developing economies. 

Egypt has saved more than $732m a year by replacing imports of 208 medicines with local production, while locally produced oncology medicines have dramatically reduced treatment costs. 

“Reliable, pooled demand is often the fastest way to bring costs down before any new factory is built,” he added.

Egypt now meets about 91% of its domestic pharmaceutical demand locally and exports medicines to 147 countries. It is also working to localise 400 active pharmaceutical ingredients across 30 therapeutic areas, representing about $1.6bn in imports. 

“If Egypt can do that, I think we can all share this success,” Ghaffar said. “Health sovereignty, for me, means availability and having medicine available at any time, not just during pandemics and outbreaks.” 

Manufacturing agenda

Dr Raji Tajudeen, Deputy Director-General of the Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC), said the agency is working to coordinate Africa’s health manufacturing agenda, mobilise domestic and external financing, and create predictable markets for local producers. 

Tajudeen said Africa CDC has worked with member states to improve public financial management while engaging development finance institutions and diaspora investors to diversify funding. 

“When it comes to manufacturing, we say it’s an ecosystem, and everybody has a role to play,” he said. 

Tajudeen also explained that the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism could provide both quality-assured products and a “guaranteed market” for African manufacturers, with more than 10 countries already signed up.

Addressing the question of manufacturing, Dr Mohamed El Sahili, CEO of Medland Health Services, said the sector is constrained by factors other than production capacity.

“The problem is the demand, the problem is the quality, and the problem is logistics,” El Sahili explained.

The inaugural Alamein Africa Forum was held in Egypt on 2-3 October 2026.

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