Egypt's Health Minister Khaled Abdel Gafar promotes health tourism and sugar‑reduction reforms

Egyptian Health Minister Dr. Khaled Abdel Gafar highlighted health tourism as a fast‑growing sector that can boost the national economy. Speaking at the fifth Africa Health ExCon 2026, he announced the creation of a National Council for Health Tourism and an electronic platform to streamline medical‑tourism services, stressing the need for unified standards and regional cooperation.

In a separate meeting with the ministers of Investment and Industry and a WHO representative, Dr. Abdel Gafar outlined a legislative framework aimed at lowering sugar content in beverages. The proposal targets non‑communicable diseases, which account for about 86 % of deaths in Egypt, by encouraging healthier diets, early screening and public awareness, with the goal of reducing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular risk while easing the health‑system burden.