Egypt launches national childhood cancer screening initiative
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The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population will start a national programme in January 2027 to detect and treat childhood cancers early.
The ministry plans to spend 1.8 billion Egyptian pounds on the Noor Saghir initiative to reduce diagnosis times by at least 20 percent. The programme targets children from birth to 18 years of age and focuses on six specific types of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and Wilms tumour.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar oversaw final preparations for the project, which integrates screening into routine services like vaccination visits, growth monitoring, and school health exams. The ministry will train more than 25,000 healthcare workers to identify warning signs and refer patients to a three-tier healthcare system. The initiative aims to reach rural and remote health units to improve access for families. It includes a dedicated hotline for guidance and a psychological support mechanism for patients and their families.
The ministry will coordinate these services with the national health insurance system and specialized pediatric oncology centers.
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