'100M Healthy Lives' Initiative: 792K newborns screened for genetic diseases
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CAIRO - 15 August 2026: The Ministry of Health and Population announced that 792,592 newborns have been screened as part of the President's initiative for the early detection of genetic diseases, under the slogan “100 Million Healthy Lives,” since its launch on July 13, 2021.
The initiative aims to build a healthy generation free from the causes of disability.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry's official spokesperson, explained that the initiative is currently in its first phase, targeting the detection of 19 genetic diseases in premature infants in the Ministry's hospital neonatal intensive care units.
The second phase will include comprehensive medical screening for all newborns in all health units nationwide.
Free Treatment Begins According to the Latest Scientific Protocols
He pointed out that the screening is done by taking a simple blood sample from the baby's heel and analyzing it in the laboratories of the Egyptian Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Egyptian CDC), which are equipped with the latest global technologies. If a positive result is detected, the child is immediately referred for confirmatory testing and begins free treatment according to the latest scientific protocols.
The targeted diseases include congenital hypothyroidism, favism, phenylketonuria, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, fatty acid oxidation, hyperglutamic acidemia, hyperisovaleric acidemia, cystic fibrosis, tetrahydrobenzene deficiency, hyperarginine deficiency, hypercitrulline deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, hypertyrosinemia (type 1), hypergalactosemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, ornithine deficiency, carbamoyltransferase deficiency, and biotinidase deficiency.
The Ministry has completed the allocation of 56 specialized centers for the treatment and follow-up of genetic diseases in newborns, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, distributed across the governorates of the Republic.
These centers provide treatment services, periodic follow-up, and psychological and advisory support to parents free of charge.
The Ministry affirms the continuation of the initiative as a fundamental pillar of primary healthcare, urging citizens to contact the hotlines 105 and 15335 with any inquiries to ensure the health of future generations in Egypt, free from detectable and treatable genetic disabilities.
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