Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) has delivered more than 105 million medical services under its first phase, while the government has allocated over EGP 115 billion for the second phase covering five new governorates, the Cabinet Media Centre said on Monday.


The figures, published in a series of official infographics, underscore Cairo’s push to expand comprehensive health coverage nationwide and advance health equity by improving service quality and extending state support to low-income citizens.

The Cabinet said preparations are underway to launch Phase II, including allocating EGP 3.3 billion to fast-track the inclusion of Minya governorate, where trial operations are set to begin in April 2026.

The second phase will cover Minya, Matrouh, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and North Sinai, with Alexandria under study for potential inclusion.

Phase II is expected to serve more than 12 million citizens, with Minya accounting for around 60 percent of beneficiaries, and will include 70 hospitals distributed across the five governorates.

The infographics highlighted improvements recorded during Phase I, including beneficiary satisfaction rates exceeding 86 percent and a 47 percent reduction in out-of-pocket health spending. The state has also covered insurance contributions for around 905,000 citizens unable to pay, representing 17.6 percent of those enrolled.

The system was launched on a trial basis in Port Said in July 2019 and officially rolled out in November of the same year. Phase I covered six governorates: Port Said, Ismailia, Luxor, South Sinai, Suez, and Aswan, registering over 6 million citizens, with around 5.2 million benefiting from services at a total cost exceeding EGP 53 billion.

More than 105 million medical services have been delivered through 328 healthcare facilities, including 285 primary care units and centres, alongside 43 hospitals and medical complexes.

On the digital front, the system has issued over 81 million electronic prescriptions, fully digitized primary healthcare facilities, and automated 95 percent of hospitals in Phase I governorates.

More than 6 million electronic health records have been created, while over 4 million medicines and medical supplies have been coded in line with the global GS1 standard.

Authorities have also expanded digital services, launching an online platform in February 2025 to enable appointment bookings at primary care facilities, alongside specialized electronic systems for dialysis, laboratory information systems (LIS), and radiology archiving (RIS/PACS).

Egypt’s UHIS is the country’s flagship healthcare reform programme, launched under Law No. 2 of 2018 to replace the fragmented public insurance model with a comprehensive, mandatory, and solidarity-based system covering all citizens.

The reform is built on a structural overhaul of the sector, separating financing (UHIS Authority), service provision (Healthcare Authority), and regulation/accreditation (GAHAR) to improve efficiency, transparency, and quality of care. It also introduces regulated co-payments, with the state fully covering contributions for citizens unable to pay.

A central component of the reform is upgrading Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure and service standards. The rollout includes hospital modernization, expansion of primary care networks, and strict accreditation requirements aligned with international benchmarks.

Planning is based on a population standard of one public-sector hospital bed per 1,000 citizens, while private-sector participation is capped at 30–40 percent, subject to accreditation.

The programme is also closely tied to Egypt’s broader development initiatives, particularly the Haya Karima initiative, which focuses on improving services in underserved and rural areas.

Digital transformation is another core pillar. The system has introduced electronic health records, e-prescriptions, and integrated hospital information systems, aiming to streamline patient care, reduce inefficiencies, and improve data-driven decision-making across the healthcare sector.