Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, has officially launched on Monday the Presidential Initiative for the Care of Children with Diabetes, part of the country’s “100 Million Healthy Lives” public health campaign.
The minister highlighted the strong support provided by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the healthcare sector and presidential health initiatives, stressing that all necessary resources have been mobilized to ensure sustainable care for children benefiting from the programme.
Abdel Ghaffar said Type 1 diabetes remains a major health challenge affecting around 55,000 children in Egypt under the age of 18.
He added that the disease places significant health, psychological and social burdens on both children and their families.
According to the minister, the initiative aims to ease those burdens by providing continuous glucose monitoring devices, reducing the need for daily finger-prick tests. The technology can spare children more than 3,650 needle pricks annually, improving their quality of life and allowing them to enjoy a more normal childhood.
Abdel Ghaffar noted that the programme goes beyond providing medical devices. It includes family training, health education and regular follow-up care, implemented in cooperation with the initiative’s scientific committee and the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO Representative in Egypt, Neama Abed, described the initiative as a milestone in child healthcare, emphasizing that Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong, integrated care and support.
The ministry plans to gradually expand the initiative to eight specialized centers nationwide by the end of 2027, with support from state institutions, banks and development partners.
