Korea and Egypt to Launch a $9 Million Project to Strengthen Emergency Medical Services in Upper Egypt
On Tuesday, Ambassador Kim Yonghyon of the Republic of Korea to Egypt met with H.E. Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, to discuss bilateral cooperation in healthcare, human resource development, and Korea's bio-medical investment.
A key highlight of the meeting was the launch of a $9 million grant project to enhance emergency medical services in Upper Egypt, particularly in the Nag Hammady and Luxor region. This initiative is closely linked to Korea's ongoing railway signal modernization efforts, including the Nag Hammady–Luxor Corridor Signaling System Modernization Project (since 2021) and the upcoming 2nd phase Luxor–High Dam Corridor project. The new project aims to strengthen emergency medical care capacity in the Nag Hammady and Luxor region in response to railway-related accidents and medical emergencies.
Starting from next year the project will provide mobile clinics, medical equipment, emergency room upgrades, and specialized training for emergency medical personnel, strengthening healthcare accessibility and enhancing Egypt's overall emergency response capabilities, particularly in local and rural areas.
During the meeting, Ambassador Kim introduced the Dr. LEE Jong-wook Fellowship Program, named after former WHO Director-General, and invited Egyptian healthcare professionals to participate. Organized by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), the program has trained 1,500 healthcare professionals from 30 countries since 2007. It offers specialized courses such as clinical expertise and health policy, ranging from one week to two years. This year, Egypt will participate in the program for the first time, focusing on infectious disease response and health policy leadership.
Additionally, Ambassador Kim said that Korea's ChoonAng Vaccine Lab (CAVAC) and Egypt's Global Pharmaceutical Industries (GPI) are jointly investing $10 million to establish a poultry vaccine production facility in Al-Sadat City's Industrial Polaris Area. The facility is expected to be completed by June, and the two companies plan to produce vaccines under an OEM model, contributing to Egypt's export market.
Ambassador Kim also invited Deputy Prime Minister Ghaffar to the April 13 reception celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties. He said that the economic conference held alongside will offer a platform to discuss biomedical and healthcare cooperation, recognizing Egypt's growing role as a medical hub in the Middle East and Africa.
As part of broader efforts to strengthen Korea-Egypt biomedical cooperation, KOTRA's Egypt office is organizing a Korean Bio-Medical Business Delegation visit in September. The delegation will hold B2B meetings with Egyptian companies, fostering investment and expanding healthcare cooperation. Ambassador Kim also proposed B2G discussions with Egypt's Ministry of Health, including a policy seminar on key healthcare initiatives.
Deputy Prime Minister Ghaffar welcomed these initiatives and reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Korea. Both sides also explored potential collaboration on health insurance policy development to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
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