The Ministry of Health and Population organized a press conference to showcase the significant progress achieved by the Egyptian state in advancing breast cancer care and to announce the integration of immunotherapy into the treatment protocols of the Presidential Women’s Health Initiative, in collaboration with MSD Egypt.

Dr. Mohamed Hassany, Assistant Minister of Health for Public Health Initiatives, stated that the Presidential Initiative represents a successful model of partnership between the government and the private sector. Since 2018, Egypt’s presidential public health initiatives have delivered more than 240 million healthcare services to over 93 million citizens. The Women’s Health Initiative alone has provided more than 70 million services, benefiting over 23 million women.

He added that the initiative has contributed to the detection of approximately 40,000 breast cancer cases, with 80% diagnosed at early stages, significantly improving cure rates. The initiative has also reduced the average period between diagnosis and the start of treatment from 180–280 days to just 49 days and decreased the proportion of late-stage cases from 60% to 19.5%.

Dr. Tamer El-Husseiny, Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority, emphasized the Authority’s role in accelerating the registration and evaluation of innovative therapies to ensure that patients gain timely access to advanced treatments in line with the highest quality standards.

For his part, Dr. Mohamed El-Akkad, Director General of the General Administration of Specialized Medical Councils, reviewed the efforts undertaken to standardize treatment protocols, develop a unified clinical guideline, and establish specialized units to support evidence-based decision-making using health data.

Dr. Hisham El-Ghazaly, Chairman of the Initiative’s Scientific Committee, highlighted the establishment of the country’s largest national breast cancer database and the development of evidence-based treatment protocols tailored to Egypt’s healthcare realities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hatem Amin, Executive Director of the Initiative, explained that the scientific committees continuously update treatment protocols to align with the latest global practices while ensuring financial sustainability, affirming that treatment is provided free of charge to all patients.

Dr. Radwa Emam, Director General of Awareness and Health Promotion Programs at the General Authority for Healthcare, underscored the Authority’s commitment to expanding the initiative’s services across facilities operating under the Universal Health Insurance System by increasing service delivery points, implementing the latest treatment protocols, and launching awareness campaigns to promote early detection and improve public health awareness.

Dr. Hazem Abdel Samea, Managing Director of MSD Egypt, said: “We are proud to collaborate with the Ministry of Health in supporting an integrated patient journey that begins with early detection and extends to improving long-term quality of life. Through scientific innovation and strengthened partnerships, we seek to create more equitable opportunities for patients to access advanced care.”

At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Mohamed Hassany expressed his appreciation to the initiative’s teams, the Scientific Committee, and all healthcare professionals for their continued efforts to enhance the quality of healthcare services provided to women across Egypt.