President Sisi urges obesity, birth rate reduction

CAIRO - 15 December 2018: President Sisi commented on the results of screening for hepatitis C and chronic diseases giving advice to citizens and highlighting costs.

“That means that the majority of those who got screened have a problem. Why are we doing that to ourselves? How can you walk or go up the stairs?” President Sisi said highlighting the link between the spread of chronic diseases to obesity.

The president commented on the obesity figures addressing citizens and saying, “Move more, and reduce your weight to live a healthy life” criticizing the widespread use of three-wheel vehicles (known in Egypt as Tutktuk) for its negative impact on health.

The president suggested that sports becomes a core course in schools and universities, and encouraged to hold more sport competitions and marathons.

President Sisi stated that the cost of treatment of hepatitis C patients on waiting lists is LE18 billion for the upcoming three years.

“When we first launched the initiative to provide immediate treatment for patients on waiting lists, the number was 17,000 a year ago. The ministry treated 5,000. Four months later, we included more than 50,000 patients in the waiting lists,” the president added.

When we first started, we planned that the ministry would provide funds worth LE300 million, and and Thaya Misr Fund would provide LE300 million from the. The treatment targets on average 10,000 patients per month. Since the costs would surpass the allocated budget, we would seek alternative ways of funding.

On a side note, the president stressed the importance of decreasing birth rates to reach the replacement rate.


The results of screening for chronic diseases identified 5,3 million diabetes patients, and 3.6 million hypertension patients. It is estimated that 21 percent of the population suffer from hypertension.

Moreover, the screening revealed that 877,000 citizens are at risk of becoming diabetes patients. Only 25 percent of screened citizens have normal weight as 36 percent are overweight, while 39 percent are obese summing up to 6.8 million.

The total number of citizens screened is 17,537, 323 with women composing the bigger portion of the turnout. The total number of citizens diagnosed with hepatitis C is 732, 732 and they started to receive treatment. Citizens aged between 26 and 35 compose 60 percent of citizens who did the check-ups.

On the sidelines of the inauguration of housing projects and water plants by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed displayed the results of screening for hepatitis C and chronic diseases.