SOCOSMA – Equity of Access to Healthcare during the Covid-19 Crisis in Egypt

Until January 30, 2021, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) had only reported about 165 500 cases of Covid-19 infections in the country, and 9 300 related deaths for a total population of 98 million people, amounting to approx. 157 cumulative cases per 100 000 inhabitants. Egypt has a plural health system, with various care provision and financing mechanisms. Over the years, Egypt has however witnessed a shrinkage of the public health sector and the parallel expansion of private facilities. The public sector is challenged with underfinancing, shortage in human and medical resources, centralization, inequality and weak ability to respond to people’s needs. Inequalities in the health system are multiple, including gender, socioeconomic and geographical factors. About one quarter of Egyptians live in poverty, have low access to public services, irregular or no employment, live in slums or rural areas, and struggle to secure basic needs. The outbreak of the corona virus crisis has had many negative effects on the general population: it has slowed the economy, increased poverty, the gender gap, decreased individuals’ income, unemployment and work instability, disrupted the health system’s functions and hindered or completely blocked access to healthcare services. The underprivileged classes and the rural populations have been the most affected by the crisis, with hardly any support from the authorities, while public hospitals are congested with covid patients, leaving behind others in need of treatment.

This seminar will be held online in English via Zoom on Tuesday February 16, 2021 at 2pm Paris, Rabat and Tunis time ; 3pm Cairo and Beirut time, 4pm Kuwait and Sana’a time ; 5pm Abu Dhabi and Muscat time.

Registration is mandatory. To receive the link and password of the meeting,

please register at :

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cEDePdm7QyyHDI6P7yCW9A