The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) is committed to supporting African countries in their political, economic, and social development, said its Secretary-General Ashraf Ibrahim. He highlighted Egypt’s historical role in backing the liberation movements in Africa in the 1950s and 1960s, and its ongoing efforts to foster the economic and social development of the continent, both bilaterally and through the African Union.
Ibrahim made these remarks during his participation in the monthly meeting of African ambassadors accredited in Cairo, where he presented the Agency’s activities in Africa since its establishment in 2014, as well as the work of the African Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa since its inception in 1985.
He said that the Agency aims to assist the African countries in implementing the sustainable development goals and contributing to the realization of Africa Agenda 2063. He also showcased the Agency’s projects and initiatives carried out in collaboration with the African partners, stressing that the Agency seeks to maximize the developmental impact of these activities for the benefit of the African people.
The Secretary-General also announced the launch of the Egyptian-African Health Alliance, which reflects Egypt’s efforts to enhance South-South cooperation and share its expertise in the health sector, which is a vital pillar for achieving growth. He explained that the alliance is a coalition of entities, institutions, and ministries that seek to exchange and transfer Egyptian know-how in the health field, to help improve the health sector in the continent, and to stimulate the medical diplomacy between Egypt and its African brothers, in light of the promising opportunities to support the investment and partnership in the health and pharmaceutical sectors for mutual benefit.
Ibrahim said that the alliance will support the African countries in providing health and pharmaceutical services to their people, according to plans and programs based on the sustainable development pillars of the Egyptian state, in a way that benefits all parties and countries of the continent.
He pointed out that Egypt has strong pharmaceutical industries that can supply African countries with affordable and competitive medicines, and that it also has highly qualified staff and expertise in various medical fields and specialties that can help develop the health sector in the African continent.
The African ambassadors welcomed the establishment of such an alliance and expressed their interest in cooperating in this framework, in coordination with the concerned countries and according to their actual needs. They acknowledged that Egypt has an advanced health sector and that many patients come to Egypt for treatment, but individually. They suggested that the treatment process could be done through an institutional mechanism that is more accessible and attractive, especially since many patients go to other countries in Europe or Asia for treatment.
