Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced the start of implementing the “Newborn Pathway” from Monday, 1 June, 2026, through an integrated system within primary healthcare units and centers across the country.
The “Newborn Pathway” aims to provide a comprehensive package of preventive and therapeutic services for the mother and newborn during the first month after birth, which is considered a critical stage requiring careful attention to ensure a healthy start for the child and early detection of any health issues.
Services provided to the newborn within the first week include: comprehensive medical examination, growth measurements, hearing screening, heel-prick test to detect genetic diseases and metabolic disorders, early detection of jaundice, and essential vaccinations.
For mothers, the services include: postpartum follow-up, support and encouragement of breastfeeding, and awareness of warning signs in both mother and child.
In recent years, Egypt has expanded a range of national health initiatives to improve maternal and child health outcomes, including nationwide newborn hearing screening.
The number of newborn births reached 1.452 million during the period from 16 August, 2025 to 9 May 2026, at an average of 5,439 births per day, 227 births per hour, and 3.8 births per minute, meaning one new birth approximately every 15.9 seconds.
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