Egypt hosts 2nd international conference on medical tourism applications

CAIRO - 2 March 2024: Egyptian Prime Minister, Mustafa Madbouli, inaugurated the second International Conference on Medical Tourism Applications in the New Administrative Capital. The two-day event, held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, brought together a wide range of stakeholders in the medical tourism industry.

A large number of current and former ministers, governors, ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, heads of various entities and organizations, university presidents, officials, representatives of members of Parliament and the Senate, editors-in-chief of newspapers and journalists, as well as experts and practitioners interested in medical and wellness tourism from around the world attended the opening ceremony.

Before the start of the events, Madbouli toured the accompanying exhibition, accompanied by Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din, Advisor to the President for Health and Prevention Affairs, and Major General Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai.

During his tour of the exhibition, the Prime Minister visited a number of sections, including the booth of the General Authority for Healthcare. He listened to a presentation about the Authority's efforts, showcasing its capabilities and its pioneering experience in achieving comprehensive health coverage.

He also visited booths of various healthcare providers, including those from the private sector, civil society, and others specializing in treating children and the elderly. They presented the healthcare services they offer and promoted their development efforts to continuously improve the level of service.

The exhibition also included a booth for the General Authority for Control and Accreditation, a booth showcasing locally produced health products, and a booth showcasing traditional and handcrafted products with a Bedouin character.

In his speech during the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister conveyed the greetings of President El-Sisi, under whose kind patronage the conference is held, in order to enrich its activities and express the President's hope for the success of the conference, especially since it carries the slogan "Applications of Egyptian Medical Tourism" in its second edition.

During his speech, Madbouli stated that today's gathering aims to discuss the future of the most important industry for humanity, as it primarily concerns human health, well-being, and wellness. He referred to its economic importance by citing several statistics.

He indicated that the size of the global healthcare market, according to the Medical Tourism Magazine, exceeds the gross domestic product of some giant countries like Japan, Germany, or India. Additionally, according to the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), millions of people around the world cross their national borders and travel to other destinations to receive healthcare.

Madbouli said: "There is no doubt that this significant growth in the medical and wellness tourism market is driven by the rapid developments witnessed in the healthcare sector, modern technological innovations, and new treatment techniques that can improve healthcare service and elevate the experience received by patients. This encourages global citizens to travel to obtain a better treatment experience."

The Prime Minister considered that this growth in demand for medical and wellness tourism is driven by one of the biggest and most fundamental demographic changes witnessed in the 21st century, namely population aging. He explained that this phenomenon is also called "global graying," resulting from the increasing proportion of the population aged 65 and over, with the growing older adult population (84 and over).

In this context, Madbouli explained that according to the population pyramid estimates, the proportion of the world's population aged 65 or over is likely to increase from 10% of the total in 2023 to 16.5% in 2050. It is worth noting that their number will double during this period from around 800 million people to more than 1.6 billion people. This, of course, increases the gap in unmet healthcare services and creates unlimited economic opportunities to meet it.

He further explained that medical and wellness tourism is a fertile ground for foreign direct investment, as it is one of the essential services.