Egypt launches child type 1 diabetes initiative, targets nationwide rollout by 2027

Egypt launched a presidential initiative on Monday to support children with type 1 diabetes, with plans to expand specialised care and continuous glucose monitoring nationwide by the end of 2027.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said the programme forms part of Egypt’s 100 million healthy lives public health campaign and targets around 55,000 children aged up to 18 living with the condition.

The initiative provides continuous glucose monitoring devices intended to reduce reliance on frequent finger-prick blood tests and improve long-term disease management, alongside family training, health education, and regular medical follow-up.

The Health Ministry said 143 children had so far been enrolled in the programme, including 47 who completed a three-month follow-up period. Preliminary data from that group showed annual emergency-room visits falling to 0.08 per child from 1.11 previously, while hospital admissions dropped to 0.08 from 0.70.

The government plans to gradually expand the initiative to additional specialised facilities across the country by the end of 2027.

WHO Representative in Egypt Nima Saeed described the initiative as an important step in strengthening long-term care for children with type 1 diabetes.

Ghada Tawfik, deputy governor for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), said the cooperation reflected effective coordination between state institutions and the banking sector. She said the central bank attached particular importance to supporting the health sector because “economic development cannot be separated from human development.”

Representatives from the Commercial International Bank (CIB), National Bank of Egypt (NBE), and the United Bank also pledged support for the programme.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English