The Egyptian Drug Authority participated in the events of Egypt’s National Strategy for Rare Diseases, launched by H.E. Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, as part of the activities of the Global Conference on Population, Health and Human Development.
This participation underscores Egypt’s leading role within the World Health Organization, as the state has adopted the initiative of integrating rare diseases into national health policies of member states.
During a panel discussion in which the Authority participated, Dr. Yasin Ragaey, Assistant Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority for Media Affairs and Investment Support, and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Care, affirmed the Authority’s pivotal role within the fourth pillar of the strategy, which focuses on ensuring the availability and accessibility of pharmaceutical products and targeted treatments for rare diseases.
Dr. Ragaey highlighted the Egyptian state's commitment to strengthening early detection and accurate diagnosis of these diseases, contributing to improving patients' quality of life and enhancing the efficiency of handling rare-disease cases.
He also reviewed the EDA's vital role in accelerating the procedures for the registration and trading of specialized pharmaceutical products, and in adopting flexible regulatory policies that ensure the rapid availability of essential and innovative treatments to patients, while adhering to global standards and mutual recognition mechanisms related to advanced and innovative therapies.
He further emphasized the Authority's commitment to enhancing cooperation with government entities, global pharmaceutical companies, and civil society organizations to support the rare diseases portfolio and ensure patients’ access to the best possible care.
The event was attended by Ms. Alexandra Humbert-Berri, CEO of the International Rare Diseases Organization; Dr. Mohamed Hassani, Assistant Minister of Health for Initiatives Affairs; along with representatives of the Medical Emergency Fund, the Universal Health Insurance Authority, and the Healthcare Authority; in addition to several senior officials from the Egyptian Drug Authority, representatives of the “Forsa Hayah” Foundation, and a notable presence of major global pharmaceutical companies.