As part of a strategic move to improve population health and quality of life across all life stages, Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has unveiled a new comprehensive national framework titled “Healthy Longevity”. The initiative aims to promote proactive, preventive, and inclusive healthcare from pre-marital stages through to old age.
The initiative comes in response to directives from Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population. It was spearheaded in a high-level inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Dr. Abla El-Alfi, Deputy Minister of Health and Population, with participation from key governmental and international stakeholders.
A Multisectoral, Lifespan-Based Approach
The Healthy Longevity agenda is positioned as a national priority for Egypt’s human development goals, uniting health, social, and economic policies. According to Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, the initiative seeks to establish a coordinated inter-agency model that assigns clear roles and responsibilities across sectors.
Participants in the meeting included representatives from the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministries of Social Solidarity, Youth and Sports, and Endowments, as well as other government departments.
Key Themes from the Meeting
1. Human and Economic Benefits
Dr. Samira El Tawil, Lead Population and Development Expert at the World Bank, emphasized the dual human and economic value of healthy longevity. Preventive healthcare and early intervention, especially against non-communicable diseases, could boost Egypt’s GDP while improving well-being.
She also highlighted gender disparities in health, noting that women tend to live longer but with more years of illness and disability, mainly due to limited access to preventive services.
2. Holistic Social and Psychological Integration
Dr. Margaret Sarofim, Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, stressed the need for policies that address psychosocial well-being, built on three pillars: desire, capability, and enabling environments. She advocated for a model of “protection for empowerment and productivity”, ensuring that vulnerable groups—especially the elderly—are active participants in society and the economy.
3. Faith and Health Awareness
Dr. Mahmoud Abu El-Azayem, Assistant Minister of Endowments, committed to leveraging Egypt’s religious institutions to promote health awareness, noting the role of mosques in hosting medical outreach programs, Friday sermons, and educational events.
4. Active Aging through Sports
Dr. Mostafa Magdy, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports, shared that Egypt operates 27 senior wellness centers, reaching nearly 200,000 elderly citizens annually. His ministry also runs sports competitions for adults aged 60+, encouraging physical activity to complement the health ministry’s chronic disease screening programs.
5. Data-Driven Policy and Smart Urban Design
Dr. Amr Aayed, Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation, discussed the creation of a national health dashboard to gather and analyze data on aging and health outcomes. This would serve as a strategic tool for policy planning and program design.
Dr. Sherif Mostafa, Assistant Minister for National Projects, highlighted the importance of making urban planning age-friendly, particularly in Egypt’s new cities and infrastructure projects.
Global Insights and Local Action
Dr. Maha Wanis, Senior Health and Nutrition Specialist at the World Bank, presented data showing that elderly Egyptians spend an average of 6 to 8 years in avoidable illness, mainly due to preventable conditions. She emphasized that multi-sector collaboration is critical to reversing this trend.
Dr. Mohamed Eissa, WHO Public Health Officer in Egypt, outlined the UN’s “Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020–2030”, urging Egypt to adopt age-inclusive policies and shift societal perceptions about aging—from decline to empowerment.
Agenda’s Recommendations
The meeting concluded with a consensus to recognize “Healthy Longevity” as a national integrated agenda, to be implemented under government leadership with a clearly defined timeline. Key recommendations included:
- Revising relevant legislation and policies to promote the independence of older adults
- Launching nationwide training-of-trainers (TOT) programs to cascade the longevity framework across Egypt’s 27 governorates
- Establishing a shared governance model among ministries and stakeholders
- Developing inclusive community services and infrastructure
By embedding health promotion in education, housing, religion, sports, and digital governance, Egypt is signaling a new era of age-smart public policy.
