Egypt is moving to boost health co-operation with Lebanon, with the two countries working to finalise a memorandum of understanding covering a wide range of health priorities, Egypt’s Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said on Monday.
Abdel-Ghaffar held talks in Cairo with Egypt’s Ambassador to Lebanon Tamim Khallaf, during which they discussed mechanisms for enhancing bilateral health co-operation and reviewed progress on a number of joint co-operation files.
The minister reaffirmed the Ministry of Health and Population’s commitment to maintaining and further developing co-operation with its Lebanese counterpart, highlighting the important role of the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut in facilitating communication between the relevant authorities and following up on priority health issues.
Ministry ٍٍSpokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said the meeting reviewed the latest developments concerning the draft memorandum of understanding between the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population and the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
He said the draft agreement had been prepared and completed the required legal and technical reviews, with the necessary amendments incorporated.
The Egyptian side is currently completing the remaining approvals and procedures, after which co-ordination with the Lebanese authorities and the Egyptian Embassy will continue to finalise the text and pave the way for its signing.
The proposed memorandum establishes a framework for co-operation across a broad range of health priorities, including the development of primary and comprehensive healthcare services, health crisis and emergency management, and training and capacity-building programmes for medical, nursing and administrative personnel.
It also covers co-operation in preventing and controlling communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as digital health transformation and the development and use of e-health applications.
Spokesman Abdel-Ghaffar also highlighted Egypt’s continued support for Lebanon’s health sector, noting that Egypt provided a shipment of medicines and medical supplies weighing around 10 tonnes last August.
This followed medical aid and supplies totalling nearly 3,000 kilogrammes that were prepared and delivered in March.
