Refugees to benefit from health insurance services: Source

CAIRO - 25 April 2019: Egypt's Ministry of Health said that refugees in the country will benefit from the new comprehensive health insurance services, according to the protocols of cooperation concluded with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a source told Egypt Today.

There is cooperation between UNHCR and the Ministry of Health to formulate a protocol where medical services would be provided in the new system, and early detection of Hepatitis C would be conducted, the source said.

Egypt has launched a screening campaign for Hepatitis C, reportedly the first of its kind, to screen millions of citizens and treat those who test positive for the blood-borne disease for free. The campaign aims to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2020.

Moreover, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi announced during the Arab and African Youth Forum held in Aswan in March a new initiative to eliminate Hepatitis C among 1 million African citizens. The initiative also includes refugees residing in Egypt, according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli.

On Wednesday, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said that the ministry started setting up four medical care centers in Africa starting with Chad.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, Zayed noted that African nationals living in Egypt will also be treated as part of the initiative, the statement reported.

Earlier in April, Spokesperson for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed told Egypt Today that the Health Ministry is establishing 13 centers to treat African people from HCV.

Megahed also added that more than 45 Million citizens have been tested so far as part of "100 Million Seha" campaign.