Egypt banks raise healthcare CSR spending to over 50% in Q1 2026 – CBE

Egypt’s banking sector increased the share of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding allocated to healthcare to more than 50 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 from 42 per cent in 2025. The increase followed a directive from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to support national healthcare initiatives in line with Egypt Vision 2030.

The funding supported Ministry of Health and Population initiatives, university hospitals, and specialised medical centres for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and burns. It also backed the presidential initiative Our Diabetes Heroes, with several banks financing the first phase through the end of 2026 to provide continuous glucose monitoring devices for underprivileged children with Type 1 diabetes, while supporting a second phase to expand coverage.

The CBE and banks also supported the presidential initiative to eliminate waiting lists for critical surgeries through a partnership with the Ministry of Health’s Medical Emergencies Fund. A three-year protocol signed in 2026 aims to expand the number of beneficiaries, building on an initial phase covering cardiac surgery, joint replacement, and corneal transplantation.

Healthcare contributions also funded intensive care complexes at Ministry of Health hospitals, upgrades to Al Mabarra Hospital, the Fayoum Oncology Centre, the National Cancer Institute at Cairo University, Ain Shams University Medical City, and the first specialised liver transplant centre in the Middle East and Africa at Mansoura University. The banking sector also supported the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre, Ahl Masr Hospital, Baheya Hospital, and the modernisation of Abla Al Kahlawi Hospital.