WHO calls on countries to follow Egypt's example of health insurance law

CAIRO – 23 December 2017: The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom, congratulated Egypt on its new Universal Health Insurance Law in a tweet on his official Twitter account on Saturday.

Adhanom tweeted, “This is a big step towards #HealthForAll. We need many more countries to follow your example and make universal health coverage a reality in all countries.”

Congratulations #Egypt 🇪🇬 on your new comprehensive health insurance law. This is a big step towards #HealthForAll. We need many more countries to follow your example and make universal health coverage a reality in all countries.

— Tedros Adhanom (@DrTedros) December 22, 2017

The new universal health insurance law, considered to be the first health system covering all citizens in Egypt, will provide services to suit all citizens in accordance with international quality standards.

The law provides free health care for citizens who cannot afford to pay, 30 to 40 percent of the Egyptian population. Subscription would be obligatory for those who can afford covering treatment costs. The sources of funding include fees paid by citizens, donations, tax on cigarettes and several others sources.