01/11/2022

Ministers of Higher Education and Health witness the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority & the Preventive Medicine Sector

Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, attended on Monday the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the Preventive Medicine Sector at the Ministry of Health and Population.

The cooperation protocol was signed by Prof. Walaa Sheta, CEO of the Science, Technology and Innovation Financing Authority, and Prof. Amr Kandil, Head of the Preventive Medicine Sector at the Ministry of Health and Population.

During the protocol ceremony, Prof. Ayman Ashour stressed the importance of the protocol in supporting the health system, especially the preventive medicine sector, and achieving integration between universities and research centers affiliated with the ministry and the hospitals of the Ministry of Health in monitoring and controlling infectious, epidemic and endemic diseases, praising the existing cooperation between the two ministries to serve the interests of citizens and raise the level of health service in Egypt.

Prof. Ayman Ashour pointed out that the vision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is based on employing scientific research to solve problems and serve the purposes and goals of sustainable development in order to achieve Egypt's Vision 2030, stressing that the coming period will witness more of these protocols in various sectors in the Egyptian state.

Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar also stressed the importance of cooperation between the Ministries of Health and Higher Education in supporting scientific research in the health field, and benefiting from the huge database and information owned by the Ministry of Health, praising the continuous and fruitful cooperation between the two ministries in initiatives and projects aimed at improving medical services for citizens.

Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that scientific research and innovation are one of the most important technical pillars in achieving the "One Health" strategy, explaining that the ministry is working in cooperation with all ministries and relevant authorities to achieve the principle of one health, which targets human, animal and plant health, which has a direct impact on the community's economy.

The protocol, which lasts for two years and is automatically renewed, aims to cooperate in many common areas, including: launching initiatives and supporting research projects in the field of one health, and preparing programs to be implemented through universities and research bodies in Egypt that have a direct return on the monitoring and control system for infectious, epidemic and endemic diseases, as well as maximizing the role of universities and research bodies to contribute to understanding the nature of these diseases, their properties, detection mechanisms, and the development of new methods of control and treatment.

It is worth-mentioning that the protocol stipulates cooperation with Egyptian scientists abroad and benefiting from their expertise in the areas of one health, as well as contributing to the development of research outputs related to the areas of combating infectious, epidemic and endemic diseases, and applying them to the semi-industrial level, which contributes to the development of the national industry and the reduction of imported product.

The protocol also stipulates that the preventive medicine sector provides the necessary expertise for technical support for all areas of cooperation in the protocol, and that the Science, Technology and Innovation Financing Authority provides the necessary technical and financial support to implement these activities in accordance with its plan to support the Egyptian scientific research system, and benefit from its research outputs, which directly benefits the Egyptians in term of the services provided.

It was also agreed that the two sides would commit to providing the necessary facilities to implement research activities and funded projects and assisting in conducting experiments and analyzes, in accordance with accepted scientific proposals, as well as participating in the evaluation of applied research projects and their compatibility with the Egyptian state policy in the fields of health, in addition to participating in the development of mechanisms for collecting data from different projects.

During the signing of the protocol, a higher executive committee was formed to follow up on the implementation of this protocol, consisting of Prof. Walaa Sheta, CEO of the Science, Technology and Innovation Financing Authority, Prof. Amr Kandil, Head of the Preventive Medicine Sector, Eng. Marwa Alaa, Supervisor of the General Administration of Follow-up to Research Programs at the Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority, and Dr. Nermin Talaat, the expert at the Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority, in addition to an expert from the Preventive Medicine Sector at the Ministry of Health.

It is worth noting that the Science, Technology and Innovation Financing Authority is the main national institution concerned with financing scientific research, technological development and innovation in the areas and pivots determined by the state's strategic plans, and works to enhance and consolidate the culture and innovative capabilities in the Egyptian society to activate and increase the contribution of science and technology to development by enhancing  economy that could transform science and knowledge into an added value that achieves economic growth. The authority also implements various programs through appeals on a competitive basis to ensure transparency and efficiency to fund the best research projects, and to provide the necessary investments to bridge the gap between academic scientific research and the needs of industry and society capabilities of human resources and research laboratories, and updating them in Egyptian universities and research centers.

The signing ceremony of the cooperation protocol was witnessed by Prof. Yasser Refaat, Deputy Minister for Scientific Research Affairs and Prof. Walid Al-Zawawi, Secretary of the Council of Research Centers, Institutes and Bodies, and on the part of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Mohamed Hassani, Assistant Minister for Public Health Initiatives, Prof. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, Secretary of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals and the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population.