Egypt has faced increasing drug shortages in the past few years, but the issue has progressively gotten worse within the past year. According to recent reports, between 20% and 40% of drug brands are currently missing. Additionally, there is also a shortage of active ingredients ranging from 15%-20%. Overall approximately 800 registered drugs are absent in the country.

Background

The primary reason Egypt is struggling with a drug shortage is because of the limited amount of US dollars. Since 2016, Egypt has been struggling with currency devaluation. The exchange rate currently sits at 50 Egyptian pounds to $1. In January 2023, Egyptian currency was devalued by 40% reaching a value of $0.03, and only marginally improving in March 2023 to $0.02. The lack of value in Egypt’s currency makes it challenging for pharmaceutical companies to import raw materials necessary for manufacturing drugs or importing them from abroad.

Consequences of Egypt’s Drug Shortage

According to the Ministry of Health, about 25% of Egyptians suffer from mental or psychological health challenges. Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions affecting 43.7% of this group, Zawia3 reports. Egypt’s drug shortage means that people who need neurological or psychiatric medication can’t access life-saving medication.

People with chronic illnesses such as schizophrenia are also struggling to obtain their prescribed medications. Many are experiencing worsening symptoms such as depression or suicidal tendencies.

Zawia3 reported that 10% of medications consumed are imported. These include treatments for cancer, hormonal therapy, and rare specialized diseases. Yet, because the country cannot afford imports, many patients with these diseases lack access to these critical drugs.

People have resorted to obtaining drugs through the black market or buying from countries abroad. However, both options are incredibly expensive for most Egyptians. Life-saving medicines such as insulin and chemotherapy drugs are a hefty price for a population in which it was found in 2022, that 21% are currently living in multidimensional poverty.

Solutions

In August 2024, Egyptian Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed al-Hosmany announced that the country would allocate 7 billion EGP to hospitals and pharmacies to address the drug shortage.

To reduce dependency on imports the government is looking to localize its drug production. In 2023, the government established GYPTO Pharma, a pharmaceutical facility that can manufacture medicine and vaccines. This would mean that the government would no longer worry about having to spend money on imports, especially with a currency that has a history of being devalued.

Overall, the government has made plans to address Egypt’s drug shortage and its high prices, but the results are yet to be seen. Hopefully, soon people will be able to go into pharmacies and find the medicine they so desperately need.

– Aya Diab

Aya is based in New York City, NY, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr