Wednesday 04 March 2026 – 12:54 PM
The Ministry of Health and Population announced intensive efforts to develop the Central Administration for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment and the National Council for Mental Health, based on the axes of close monitoring, digital transformation, community support, and the development of infrastructure and medical personnel, within the framework of the state’s plan to provide integrated, high-quality psychological care in accordance with the highest international standards.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the ministry’s official spokesman, explained that the National Council for Mental Health intensified field monitoring campaigns to protect patients’ rights and combat unlicensed facilities, as it closed 34 violating places in 6 governorates, monitored 69 places based on citizens’ reports, and carried out 44 periodic inspections and 14 inspections of new facilities that resulted in two being licensed, in addition to supervising an independent medical evaluation of 3,232 patients to determine the need for compulsory admission.
In the context of facilitating access to psychological services, the national electronic platform for mental health and addiction treatment achieved record numbers during January 2026 by receiving 124,354 visitors, conducting 31,970 questionnaires, and holding 14,443 treatment sessions, with females dominating 72% of use, and the age group 15-25 years as the most frequent, which confirms the success of the platform in reaching young groups and adolescents.
The “Your Health is Happiness” initiative also contributed to enhancing mental health through the hotline receiving 3,058 various calls between consultations and emergencies, implementing 1,358 home visits, and providing rehabilitation services to 2,295 patients, in addition to thousands of support sessions, outpatient clinics, and harm reduction units.
In the field of combating drugs and creating a safe work environment, the laboratory administration conducted periodic examinations that included 3,787 drivers during 311 campaigns, 6,314 employees of the state administrative apparatus, 8,662 employees in the petroleum sector, and 7,538 examinations for those seeking employment, while training workers on advanced chromatographic devices.
The spokesman stressed the continuation of efforts to raise the efficiency of facilities and train cadres, through training programs with the International Organization for Migration for 150 cadres in Alexandria and Aswan, and cooperation with Finland to develop forensic psychiatry, and follow up on projects to establish and develop addiction treatment centers and psychiatric hospitals in several governorates, in addition to improving the unified purchasing system, developing dental clinics, infection control, and occupational safety in all affiliated facilities.
