Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA) and AstraZeneca Egypt signed on Monday a preliminary agreement to promote green health facilities and support sustainability and resilience in healthcare. Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar along with Sir Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca Global, witnessed the signing of the deal. The announcement was made during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from the 6th to the 18th of November 2022. This partnership is aligned with efforts of the Egyptian state to unify all initiatives aimed at dealing with climate change issues, notably in the healthcare sector. The agreement is also in line with the commitment of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to raise environmental awareness as part of his 'Go Green' Initiative. EHA and AstraZeneca had previously joined forces to deliver the "EHA Field Hospital" – a mini field hospital located in the Green Zone of COP27. The hospital scope involves the provision of high-quality medical services to the presidential delegations and conference participants. The field hospital's joint effort marks the first cooperation between the EHA and AstraZeneca Egypt in the field of green mobile hospitals and is the first-ever hospital facility for events and conferences of this scale in Egypt. The signing also alluded to EHA's efforts in applying the concepts of green health facilities pointing to the success of the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital in South Sinai. The Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital, run by EHA, was globally recognised by the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network (GGHH) and is the first Egyptian hospital to receive this recognition. It reinforces the transformation of healthcare authority's facilities into green health facilities that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. The agreement sets out a number of activities related to the green transformation of hospitals under the EHA through a number of methods including; the establishment of clean energy plants, the use of low carbon footprint medications and medicinal supplies, the use of clean and purified water, and the optimal disposal of medical and chemical waste in order to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. Electric car charging stations will also be built across healthcare facilities. Minister Abdel Ghaffar expressed his gratitude to AstraZeneca for its continuous and fruitful cooperation with Egypt and Egyptian authorities in the various fields of healthcare and medicine. He also expressed his thanks for their support in promoting the exchange of their technological and innovative practices for a safer and more sustainable future in line with the vision of President Sisi. The president's vision includes the localisation and implementation of comprehensive sustainable development in line with the Egypt 2030 initiative, supporting green recovery plans for the Climate Summit, and realising the objectives of the Egyptian National Strategy for Climate Change 2050. Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairman of the General Authority of Healthcare, and assistant Minister of Health, stressed the importance of achieving an integrated health ecosystem which will require concerted efforts and cooperation by all parties to achieve the desired goal. He also reiterated the close link between the environment and the healthcare sector, one of the main reasons the country's authorities are working closely to integrate environmental transformation within the healthcare space. The transformation will ensure safer world-class healthcare services for everybody, especially Egyptian citizens. El-Sobky also highlighted the importance of everyone's cooperation for the success of the Climate Summit which is being hosted in Egypt, pointing out the great benefits and returns of the application of green health facilities to promote climate action on a global scale. He concluded that green transformation has great investment opportunities in the field of healthcare in Egypt, especially sustainable health projects which contribute to providing more job opportunities and serving the healthcare sector. AstraZeneca's Country President for Egypt, Hatem Werdany referred to the importance of the nation's success in transforming and developing its environmentally green healthcare sector in a way that exceeds expectations at all levels. This transformation will require the participation of the private sector and the supervision of the state and its direction in order to develop green, sustainable and integrated healthcare. He also reaffirmed AstraZeneca's commitment to its strategic role towards the healthcare sector in Egypt, and providing cutting edge technology and innovation to the state's green initiatives.
