Egypt will expand its Universal Health Insurance (UHI) system to five more governorates as part of its second phase of implementation. The new phase is scheduled to launch at the beginning of the upcoming fiscal year, aims to provide affordable healthcare to an estimated 12.8 million people.
Prime Minister, Mustafa Madbouly, announced that the UHI system will be rolled out in Damietta, Minya, Kafr Al-Sheikh, North Sinai, and Marsa Matrouh. The expansion will bring the total number of beneficiaries in the second phase to 12.8 million people, with an estimated cost of LE120 billion. This follows the successful completion of the first phase, which began in 2018 and covered six governorates.
The UHI system is designed to provide universal, affordable healthcare for all Egyptians, including those without insurance under the existing system. It covers all medical services, from routine examinations and diagnostic tests to major surgeries. The system is financed by premiums, with the government covering the costs for those unable to pay.
The second phase will see the addition of 65 hospitals, bringing the total number of beds to 10,669, as well as 516 primary care centers. In addition, plans are in place to develop 40 new hospitals at a cost of approximately LE44 billion, and 516 primary care units at a cost of around LE31 billion.
The expansion of the UHI system is part of Egypt’s broader healthcare reform agenda, which aims to ensure that all citizens have access to high-quality medical services. In addition to expanding coverage, the government is also working to enhance the quality of care, with more than 16 million family medicine services already provided in the initial six governorates. Additionally, over 520,000 surgeries, including advanced procedures, have been performed under the UHI system.
As the second phase of the UHI system progresses, the goal is to further reduce the burden of healthcare spending on households. Currently, about 60% of household income is spent on healthcare, and the expansion of UHI aims to address this challenge by making healthcare more accessible and affordable for all Egyptians.
The UHI system is expected to be fully implemented by 2030, with the focus on reaching smaller and less advantaged governorates first. Cairo and Giza will be covered in the final phase of implementation. The success of the first phase has laid the foundation for this next step, which aims to continue improving healthcare access and quality across the country.
