Egypt’s Minister for Health, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar signed an MoU with the British biopharmaceutical company GSK plc to enhance healthcare in the country, the health ministry announced on Wednesday May 17, 2023.
GSK, also known as GlaxoSmithKline, is a multinational healthcare and pharmaceutical company, actively involved in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medications, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.
GSK is the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world and number 294 on the 2022 Fortune Global 500.
The MoU comprises several key areas, including increased public awareness campaigns and specialized training for professionals in the field of child and elderly immunizations, the ministry’s official spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar explained.
“The two partners will collaborate on joint projects to achieve multiple objectives, including raising awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and combating antimicrobial resistance,” Abdel-Ghaffar added.
Additionally, the collaboration “will provide training for healthcare experts on vital topics such as smoking cessation, disease prevention, and accurate patient diagnosis.”
This initiative is part of the Egyptian health minister’s ongoing efforts to benefit the citizens by forging partnerships with international organizations.
One notable initiative is the establishment of Egypt’s first production line for hepatitis B and pentavalent vaccines, launched in March.
This collaboration between the state-owned VACSERA and the Serum Institute of India enables the production of 100 million vaccine doses annually, combining five antigens into a single jab.
Additionally, the ministry of health discussed plans in 2022 to cooperate with the vice president of Italy’s San Donato Hospital Group in establishing a training centre for medical teams in the governorate of Port Said.
It has also set up what it aims to be the largest organ transplant centre in the Middle East and Africa in Cairo. The facility, established in cooperation with international partners, includes an automated transplant database for patients and donors.
