The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has instructed banks to increase support for national healthcare initiatives, with more than half of the banking sector’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending allocated to healthcare in the first quarter of 2026, up from 42% in 2025.
The central bank said the move aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 strategy to improve healthcare services and expand access to medical care.
Funding has been directed toward initiatives led by the Ministry of Health and Population, the development of university hospitals, and the establishment and equipping of specialized medical centres for heart disease, oncology, Alzheimer’s disease, burns and cancer treatment.
As part of the effort, the CBE and Egyptian banks backed the presidential “Our Diabetes Heroes” initiative, which provides continuous glucose monitoring devices to children with type 1 diabetes from low-income families, eliminating the need for routine finger-prick testing. Several banks financed the first phase of the programme through the end of 2026 and will provide additional monitoring devices during the second phase.
The banking sector has also supported the presidential initiative to reduce waiting lists for critical surgeries in cooperation with the Ministry of Health’s Emergency Medical Fund. The first phase focused on high-demand procedures, including cardiac surgery, joint replacement and corneal transplants.
The CBE said it had signed a cooperation protocol with the fund to expand the programme over three years beginning in 2026, with continued emphasis on urgent surgical specialties.
The central bank and commercial banks have also financed the operation of intensive care units at public hospitals, upgraded Al-Mabara Hospital in Old Cairo and the Fayoum Oncology Center, and supported infrastructure improvements at university hospitals, including Cairo University’s National Cancer Institute and Ain Shams University’s Medical City.
They also contributed to equipping what the CBE said is the first specialised liver transplant centre in the Middle East and Africa at Mansoura University.
CSR funding has further supported specialised healthcare facilities, including the establishment and equipping of the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Center in Sheikh Zayed City, the Ahl Masr Hospital for burn treatment, Baheya Hospital for breast cancer screening and treatment, and the development of Abla El-Kahlawy Hospital for Alzheimer’s patients and elderly care.
