Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar on Tuesday called for prioritising the health crises in Palestine, Sudan and Yemen at a meeting of Arab health ministers, stressing the need for continued humanitarian, medical and emergency financial assistance to the three countries.
Abdel Ghaffar chaired the 65th regular meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Arab Health Ministers Council at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.
He affirmed that Egypt would continue providing humanitarian, relief and medical assistance to Palestinians, while supporting efforts to rebuild the damaged health sectors in Sudan and Yemen. He also highlighted the allocation of emergency funding to the three countries through the Arab Fund for Health Development.
The meeting reviewed preparations for launching the 2026–2030 strategy to benefit from Arab health professionals working abroad, alongside a multi-sectoral project aimed at improving adolescent health.
Ministers also discussed adopting “Health in the Age of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence” as the theme for Arab Health Day in 2027.
Abdel Ghaffar said Egypt would be designated a regional centre for training and capacity building in blood transfusion services, following recommendations issued at the 25th meeting of the Arab Authority for Blood Transfusion Services.
Egypt also presented a proposal to launch an “Arab Day for Humanity Without Burns” and expressed support for a roadmap to establish an Arab Observatory on Drugs.
Abdel Ghaffar called for a unified Arab position at the 80th World Health Assembly, including a common message addressing the humanitarian and health situations in Palestine, Yemen and Sudan.
The meeting also reviewed an updated Iraqi proposal to establish a regional Arab centre for field epidemiology. Discussions focused on ensuring coordination and avoiding overlapping responsibilities with the Arab Centre for Public Health.
Ministers further considered assessments of the technical and administrative structures of the Arab Board of Health Specializations and the Arab Center for Authorship and Translation of Health Sciences in Kuwait.
Cairo is also set to host an Arab conference on the role of expatriate Arab health professionals, as part of broader efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in healthcare.
