Egypt cancer screening drive tops 18 million examinations in two years

The Presidential Initiative for Early Detection of Cancerous Tumours, which screens for lung, prostate, colon and cervical cancers, has been running since June 2023 under the government's "100 Million Healthy Lives" campaign, targeting Egyptians aged 18 and above.

The statement added that the program works by first directing citizens to complete an electronic questionnaire to assess risk factors and symptoms, with suspected cases then referred for further testing and treatment.

Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffer urged citizens to visit their nearest health unit or the ministry's initiatives page to fill out the initial questionnaire.

Negative results are followed up periodically, while positive cases are referred to specialist medical committees to determine appropriate treatment, he added.

Khaled Abdel Aziz, executive director of the initiative, said the program detected a significant number of early-stage cancer cases and referred tens of thousands of patients to smoking cessation clinics, which he said improved recovery prospects and helped protect public health.

The ministry said it would continue to provide services and answer enquiries through hotlines 105 and 15335, its official website and its social media channels.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi originally launched the "100 Million Healthy Lives" program in 2018 to eradicate Hepatitis C and tackle non-communicable diseases before expanding to cover multiple areas of preventive care.

The initiative rolled out in phases, initially covering nine governorates including Alexandria, Beheira, Mersa Matrouh, Damietta, Faiyum, Assiut, South Sinai and Port Said, before expanding nationwide.

At a ceremony marking the initiative's second anniversary last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said what began as presidential health campaigns had evolved into "a sustainable and preventative healthcare ecosystem."