Egypt Refugee Appeal For Refugees from Africa, Iraq and Yemen 2018 | Page 39

Egypt Response Plan 2018
PUBLIC HEALTH
SECTOR RESPONSE
UNHCR is working with the following partners in the public health sector: Caritas Egypt, International Organization
for Migration (IOM), Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Refuge Egypt, Save the Children International
(SCI), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
CURRENT SITUATION
The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is
responsible for the overall health and population policy
as well as the provision of public health services. The
Egyptian Parliament has recently approved a law to
ensure universal health insurance, the roll-out of which
will gradually take place.
In October 2016, UNHCR signed a memorandum of
understanding with the MoHP, by which access to public
health care services was extended to all refugees. This
means that public preventive primary health services are
provided to all refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt at
equal levels to Egyptians. In MOHP primary health care
clinics, the preventive health care services are free of
charge, and a nominal consultation fee is applicable for
curative consultations.
In January 2017, the MoHP issued a memorandum to
15 primary health care facilities to ensure access for
African and Iraqi refugees and asylum-seekers. During
a participatory assessment conducted in February 2017,
especially non-Arabic speakers among the refugee
community showed limited awareness about the
process and timeframe of their integration in the public
health system. They also expressed uncertainty of which
facilities will be accessible to them and fear of possible
discrimination. Consequently, health partners worked
throughout 2017 to ensure a smooth integration of these
population groups into the public health system. During
the transition period, NGO partners continued to provide
services for African, Iraqi and Yemeni refugees and
asylum-seekers. Another Health Access and Utilization
Survey (HAUS) is planned for the beginning of 2018, to
assess the advancement of the mainstreami