Washington: Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, participated in a World Bank event titled 'Innovative solutions to increase production and ensure access to medical products,' on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Abdelatty praised the World Bank Group's response to African calls to localize essential health industries. He highlighted the AIM2030 initiative, launched on a pilot basis in nine African countries including Egypt, as a key pillar for strengthening health system resilience amid limited pharmaceutical production capacity across the continent.

Abdelatty outlined key priorities, including localizing supply chains through investment in infrastructure and manufacturing capacity, promoting technology transfer, digitizing drug production licensing, accelerating regulatory harmonization via revitalizing the African Medicines Agency, strengthening pooled procurement mechanisms, and mobilizing innovative financing for the health sector.

He also reviewed Egypt's national efforts to develop the health sector and position itself as a regional hub for pharmaceuticals and medical technology. These initiatives include the EDA PharmaLand project to boost health exports by 2030, the 2024 national strategy for vaccine localization building on successful experiences such as hepatitis C treatment, and the 100 Million Healthy Lives initiative as a model for prevention and healthcare development.

The foreign minister highlighted measures to attract investments, including incentives and digital licensing systems, as well as plans to establish an integrated prosthetics industrial complex.

At the continental level, he reaffirmed Egypt's role in supporting health capacity in Africa, noting its selection as a regional center of regulatory excellence by the African Union Development Agency, ongoing cooperation with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and its hosting of Africa Health ExCon as a leading continental platform.

He concluded by emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation with international organizations, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), to exchange expertise and adopt global best practices.