Egypt and Sweden on Tuesday in Cairo signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding cooperation in the field of public health.
According to a statement released in the Egyptian capital, the agreement covers cooperation in several areas, including disease surveillance, primary healthcare, maternal and child health, as well as the use of modern health technologies.
The MoU provides for collaboration on the development of Egypt’s “One Health” strategy, adopted in April 2023, the establishment and operation of public health control centres, and the strengthening of preventive healthcare, the Egyptian cabinet said in its statement.
Signed in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the agreement—focusing on exchanges of expertise and technical cooperation—was inked by Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and Swedish Minister of Health Elisabeth Lann.
Under the agreement, both sides will facilitate partnerships between specialised medical centres and research institutes, and explore new areas of cooperation to improve the quality and efficiency of health services.
At the signing ceremony, Madbouly stressed that the agreement forms part of Egypt’s broader efforts to strengthen international cooperation in the health sector and to leverage foreign expertise to further develop healthcare services.
Abdel-Ghaffar added that the MoU aligns with Egypt’s plans to expand digital health systems and enhance its capacity to respond to health emergencies, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals under the Egypt Vision 2030 project.
The agreement reflects Egypt’s interest in the Swedish public health model, which emphasises primary healthcare, disease prevention and health surveillance, as well as the use of electronic medical records, telemedicine and data-driven decision-making.
Sweden is among the first countries to have adopted the “One Health” approach, recognising the close interdependence between human health, animal health (domestic and wildlife) and environmental health (ecosystems).
AK/lb/as/APA