Cairo:Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with Latvia's Minister of Health, Hosams Abu Meri, and his accompanying delegation to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in the health sector. The meeting, which took place on Thursday, November 12, 2026, focused on following up on the implementation of a previously signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) and exploring new opportunities for partnership and exchange of expertise in medical fields.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the discussion emphasized the importance of building upon existing bilateral relations to contribute to the development of the healthcare system in both countries. This includes leveraging mutual expertise, particularly in medical training, digital health services, and scientific research.

The meeting addressed the status of the MoU signed between the Egyptian and Latvian ministries of health on November 11, 2025. The MoU covers cooperation in 14 areas, such as health systems development, medical training, expert exchange, digital health, scientific research, and more. The two sides discussed implementing the MoU's provisions through delegation exchanges, training programs, and information sharing.

There was also a proposal to form a joint technical committee to identify priority areas for cooperation, develop a joint action plan, and monitor the implementation of agreed-upon activities. The discussions included enhancing medical tourism cooperation and exploring investment opportunities and partnerships in pharmaceutical manufacturing and digital health services.

The meeting reviewed past cooperation efforts, including the Latvian Minister of Health's visit to Egypt in November 2025, which featured visits to key medical facilities. Latvia's support for the Egyptian health sector, such as donating 115,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in 2022, was also highlighted.