The Egyptian government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – an international financing and partnership organization – have officially signed a framework agreement on Wednesday 13 November aimed at enhancing Egypt’s health systems. The partnership focuses on improving the national response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis while also addressing the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19. HIV is a disease that attacks the immune system’s cells, and if left untreated, it can progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), characterized by a severely weakened immune response. In 2019, an estimated 22,000 people were living with HIV in Egypt. However, the 2020 Country Progress Report for Egypt highlights the nation’s ongoing commitment to combat HIV/AIDS. The report indicates significant progress with 8,365 individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 1,651 new cases enrolled in treatment in 2019. As of 2022, Egypt’s National AIDS Programme (NAP) and UNAIDS Egypt highlighted the growing gap between the number of HIV-positive individuals and registered AIDS patients, with detected cases increasing by 20-25 percent annually. Current estimates suggest between 28,000-34,000 people are living with HIV, primarily among young people, although a decline in…
Egypt and Global Fund Sign Agreement to Combat HIV and tuberculosis
November 13, 2024
By Belal Nawar
Senior Journalist
