Egypt Health
Health
The majority of the Egyptian population is insured through the state; The problem is that this insurance is linked to training or work and therefore excludes the unemployed or the poor. Because of the sometimes serious quality deficiencies in the state supply – poor hygiene or neglected maintenance of devices as well as underpaid staff – those who can avoid the large hospitals in favor of private clinics anyway. Currently, a new draft law is to address the problem and gradually expand adequate health insurance to all population groups. The new health budget, however, it met with massive criticism from experts from civil society. Only 4.8% is earmarked in the budget for expenditure in the health care system instead of the 15% that is generally considered in the public debate to be necessary for health reforms and improvements in health care.
Socially determined health problems primarily affect women from poorer areas, be it through early marriage and, accordingly, early pregnancies, or through female circumcision, which – despite legal prohibitions and counter-campaigns with increasing success – can only be slowly eradicated in rural areas. Also, drug abuse is widespread. The drugs used by the rich are different from those used by the poor, who use cheaper chemical substances or pharmaceutical products.
According to topb2bwebsites, the HIV infection rate in Egypt is comparatively low. It is estimated that between 2,900 and 13,000 people are infected. The transmission mostly takes place during unprotected heterosexual intercourse; 90% of the women affected were infected within the marriage. One of the biggest problems in the fight against AIDS / HIV is the lack of education. Women in particular are often poorly informed because of their difficult access to education and information due to social norms.
In contrast to AIDS, hepatitis C is very common. In addition to the usual hygiene deficiencies in health care, this is also related to the frequent non-sterile treatment of schistosomiasis / schistosomiasis in the 1950’s to 1980’s. The construction of dams has increased the risk of infection with this worm disease, which can be contracted when swimming and bathing in the Nile and in freshwater lakes in the region; in local people, the disease is not infrequently chronic and weakens human organs.
In terms of mental health, Egypt took a major step towards reintegration and rehabilitation of patients under psychiatric treatment with a new law in 2009. Previously, they had been taken to psychiatric hospitals, which they often never left; the relevant legislation dates back to the 1940’s. The new law is supposed to improve the situation of mental patients, but there is still a long way to go.
However, the decision by the Ministry of Health in July 2012 to no longer calculate prices for pharmaceutical products according to the production price, but on the basis of world market prices, caused an outcry. Many fear that poorer Egyptians will no longer be able to afford many drugs due to expected price increases.
The Ministry of Health raised prices by around 50% in 2018. However, the problem worsened after the drop in the national currency rate in November 2016. Since then, reports of unavailable drugs in pharmacies have increased. A black market has developed with high prices for medicines and pharmaceutical products that the average Egyptian can hardly afford.
Stay healthy
In addition to the normal vaccinations, no special precautions are necessary for Egypt. The Federal Foreign Office recommends drinking no or only boiled tap water to avoid diarrhea. Current medical information can be found there regularly.
In principle, consumption in most restaurants and also in local cookshops is usually harmless. Here you should be guided by your own impression; Avoid ice cubes, mayonnaise etc. if necessary. Care should be taken with meat that has hung in the sun for too long.
Hepatitis C is widespread, and appropriate precautions in contact with blood and during sexual intercourse are advised. Bathing in the Nile is also not recommended: there is a risk of infection with the worm disease schistosomiasis / schistosomiasis.
Adequate medical care is guaranteed in Cairo. Outside of Cairo, this has improved significantly in recent years, but still often does not meet Western European standards, even in the main tourist centers.
The high pollution of food is a problem in Egypt and was caused by corruption. A law to ensure the quality of food has been blocked for years. Only after the revolution is there hope again that the law will be passed and the quality of food will improve. If you want to eat healthily, you can use organic products that are available in every major supermarket. Alternatively, you can also order organic products online. But doubts are also raised about the quality of many organic products and it is often not clear how organic or ‘bio’ these products really are.
