Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, received Alexis Goosdeel, Executive Director of the European Union Drugs Agency, and his accompanying delegation to discuss joint cooperation in the fields of mental health, drug control, prevention, addiction treatment, and the organization of related health services.

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar emphasized that strengthening the mental health system is a top priority for the ministry, stressing the importance of benefiting from successful international experiences in this field, considering mental health a fundamental pillar for the stability and prosperity of individuals and Egyptian society.

Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, stated that the meeting included extensive discussions on developing the mental and psychological health system and exchanging innovative ideas to combat drugs.

The minister reviewed Egypt’s efforts in this field, including addiction treatment programs, psychological care, and national research, emphasizing the need to raise awareness about the health, psychological, and mental risks of drugs among various segments of society, focusing on the importance of early detection and rapid intervention.

The minister also reviewed the services provided by the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, which include detoxification, rehabilitation, relapse prevention, family counseling, day care programs, dual diagnosis, and smoking cessation support. He also highlighted the ministry’s achievements in training multidisciplinary service providers (doctors, nurses, and psychologists), with training completed in four governorates (Cairo, Alexandria, Sharqia, and Minya). He pointed to efforts to develop the Egyptian National Drug Observatory by integrating artificial intelligence for real-time data updating and evidence-based policy-making, establishing the observatory as a regional leader within the Middle East drug network.

On the other hand, the European delegation presented the EU Drugs Monitoring Project (EU4MD), which aims to support neighboring countries in monitoring drug challenges, enhancing regional cooperation, and exchanging expertise during its first (2019-2022) and second (2023-2027) phases. The project also focuses on strengthening the technical capacities of partner countries in data collection and analysis, trend identification, and preparedness to face health and security challenges.

The meeting was attended on behalf of the Ministry of Health by Dr. Zeinab Al-Sadr, Assistant Deputy Minister of Health; Dr. Ayman Abbas, Head of the Central Administration of the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment; and Dr. Susan Zanati, Director of the General Department of Foreign Health Relations. From the EU Drugs Agency: Mr. Pedro Asaris Rodriguez, Head of Policy, Crime and Markets Unit; Ms. Cecile Martel, Head of International Cooperation Sector; Ms. Liz Jacobson, Coordinator of the EU4MD II Project; Ms. Angelina Eichhorst, EU Ambassador to Egypt; and Mr. Dimitrios Karabatakis, Expert in Counterterrorism and Security.