Arab health ministers welcome Egypt's Health Min. proposal to set up Arab drug authority

CAIRO - 15 March 2020: The Council of Arab Health Ministers welcomed on Monday a proposal submitted by Health Minister Hala Zayed to establish an Arab drug authority to facilitate legalization related to the registration of pharmaceuticals in the Arab countries.

Zayed addressed the 54th Ordinary Session of the Arab Health Ministers Council held at the headquarters of the Arab League via videoconference with the participation of AL Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit and Arab health ministers, Khaled Megahed, the Health Ministry's spokesman, said.

The minister urged to rapidly allocate funds for the health systems in Somalia, Yemen, Palestine, and Lebanon.

She also pointed out that the council had issued directives to outline a strategy for the fair distribution of the coronavirus vaccines in the Arab countries in coordination between the health ministers and WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt has started its vaccination campaign in January, starting with the medical teams at quarantine hospitals, for being on top of priority groups in terms of vaccination.The ministry launched a website in order for citizens over 18 years old to register to receive the vaccine. The website is available in Arabic and English.

The campaign already started to vaccinate the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases.

Johns Hopkins University on March 15, announced that the total number of coronavirus cases reached 119.848.281 million around the world. The fatalities of the pandemic reached 2.653.641 million cases.