Health & Education

The largest country in the Arab world, Egypt has well-established medical facilities. However, the health sector faces significant challenges in caring for a rapidly growing population using a system hampered by structural weaknesses. In its 2014 constitution, the Egyptian government pledged to devote 3% of GDP to health care. With pressing matters of security and political stability facing the next government, health care workers are not anticipating radical reforms immediately. Yet the consensus is that reforms must come in the medium term to improve standards and services, reduce inefficiencies and inequality, and prepare the system for the pressures involved in dealing with a rapidly growing population. The education system in Egypt currently faces many challenges as it seeks to improve and better prepare the country’s young people to join the workforce. One of the biggest component groups of Egypt’s jobless are graduates, who account for 33% of the total. Optimism was sparked by the new constitution, which came into force in January 2014. Article 238 stipulates that education must receive expenditure to the value of at least 4% of GDP each year. Yet increasing funding cannot be the only solution; the reform of curricula, implementation of technology and improvement in teaching are all also urgent requirements.

This chapter contains interviews with Hamed Sherif, Chairman, Misr International Hospital and Mahmoud Abo El Nasr, Minister of Education.