The Ministry of Health and Population held a press conference to review the progress made in developing the breast cancer patient care system and the inclusion of immunotherapy in the treatment protocols of the President’s initiative to Support Women’s Health, in collaboration with MSD Egypt.
Assistant Minister of Health for Public Health Initiatives Dr. Mohammad Hassani stated that the presidential initiative represents a successful model of partnership between the government and the private sector. Since 2018, presidential public health initiatives have provided more than 240 million services to over 93 million citizens, while the Women’s Health Initiative alone has delivered more than 70 million services benefiting over 23 million women.
He added that the initiative contributed to the detection of approximately 40,000 breast cancer cases, 80% of which were in the early stages. This improvement increased recovery rates and reduced the average time between diagnosis and the start of treatment from 180–280 days to just 49 days, while the percentage of late-stage cases dropped from 60% to 19.5%.
For his part, Dr. Mohammad Al-Akkad, Director of the General Administration of Specialized Medical Councils, discussed efforts to unify treatment protocols and develop a standardized guideline, as well as the creation of specialized units to support decision-making based on health data.
Dr. Hisham El-Ghazali, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the initiative, highlighted the creation of the largest national breast cancer database and the development of treatment protocols grounded in scientific evidence and tailored to the Egyptian context.
Director of the General Administration for Awareness and Health Promotion Programs at the General Authority for Healthcare Dr. Radwa Imam also affirmed the commitment to expanding the provision of initiative services within the facilities of the comprehensive health insurance system by increasing service outlets, applying the latest treatment protocols, and implementing awareness programs focused on early detection and health promotion.
On the other hand, Dr. Hazem Abdel Sameea, Executive Director of MSD Egypt, said, "We are proud to cooperate with the Ministry of Health to support an integrated pathway that begins with early detection and extends to improving long-term quality of life by harnessing scientific innovation and strengthening partnerships to provide fairer opportunities for patients."
At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Mohammad Hassani expressed his gratitude to the initiative’s working teams, the scientific committee, and the medical staff for their ongoing efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for women.
Source: The National Media Authority Portal
