(Tiens la France va aider l'Egypte à créer une industrie productrice d'hydrogène verte. note de rené)

Anaemia is ravaging the people of Egypt

April 10, 2025 at 3:00 pm

• by Mahmoud Hassan. Middle East Monitor

The official announcement that 40 per cent of Egyptians are afflicted with anaemia paints a stark picture of the nation’s suffering due to malnutrition, a result of rising inflation, a dire economy and deteriorating living conditions. More than one-third of Egypt’s population — approximately 110 million people — suffer from anaemia, stunting and obesity, which are among the most widespread health issues, according to the Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) of the Egyptian Cabinet.

UNICEF estimates place Egypt among 36 countries that account for 90 per cent of global malnutrition, sounding the alarm over worsening health and economic conditions in the most populous Arab nation.

Once considered to be among the most nourishing and delicious in the Arab world, the Egyptian dining table has changed significantly under the rule of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. His economic policies have led to the disappearance of many traditional dishes, as their ingredients have become too expensive for the average person. World Bank estimates in 2019 revealed that 60 per cent of Egyptians were either poor or vulnerable to poverty. Indeed, it added that Egypt’s actual poverty rate climbed to 32.5 per cent in 2022, up from 29.7 per cent in 2020.

Housewife Iman Mohamed said that her family hasn’t had fresh meat for months, with the price of one kilogram reaching approximately 400 Egyptian pounds ($8). She told me that her family’s consumption of poultry had also dropped significantly, with prices rising to EGP 120 per kilogram of chicken ($2.30), along with similar hikes in the price of tilapia fish and even eggs, now priced at EGP 6 ($0.12) each.

Meat consumption in Egypt has halved, dropping from 18 tons per 1,000 people in 2018 to just nine tons in 2022. This means that the average Egyptian consumes only nine kilograms per year, or around 750 grams per month, compared with a global average of 41.9 kilograms per year, according to the Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research, Baseera.

OPINION: Is Netanyahu harming Egypt’s economy ?

A report issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in November 2022 indicated that 93.1 per cent of Egyptian households had reduced their consumption of meat and poultry, while 92.5 per cent had cut back on fish. Exorbitant prices are the main reason for Egyptians not getting sufficient protein — whether from red or white meat, or plant-based sources such as beans, lentils, fava beans, chickpeas, and soy — which have all seen significant price hikes in recent years.

In his article published in the privately-owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm under the headline “Combating Anaemia and the Decline in Meat Consumption”, academic and former advisor to the Minister of Supply, Nader Nour El-Din, attributed the spread of anaemia among Egyptians to the depreciation of the local currency and the surge in prices beyond the poor’s purchasing power.

He referred to this phenomenon as “hidden hunger”.

This describes a situation whereby all types of food are available in markets but are priced beyond the reach of the poor.

Since 2020, CAPMAS has not issued any updated poverty reports, amid expectations of a sharp rise in poverty following successive devaluations of the Egyptian pound, which plummeted from EGP 31 to over EGP 51 against the US dollar.

Such poverty has had a negative impact on Egyptian diets, pushing many to buy lower-quality products such as chicken feet and bones, once reserved as pet food. In Greater Cairo, informal markets have emerged selling near-expired or untraceable goods, often referred to as stairwell factory products, beyond the reach of government oversight.

Children and teenagers increasingly consume cheap snacks like potato crisps and instant noodles and often suffer from anaemia at an early age. Among children under five, the anaemia rate has reached 43 per cent, along with rising cases of diabetes, osteoporosis and immune deficiencies.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said that the government is working to fortify subsidised bread with essential nutrients, noting that every 100 grams of flour contains four milligrams of iron. However, the milling process reduces this iron content.

READ: Egypt, France agree to establish plant for green hydrogen production

Each school day, the local authorities provide something for students to have for breakfast, but typically it is only a biscuit. However, experts question the effectiveness of this initiative in combating childhood anaemia. They advocate for the provision of vitamin supplements in schools to prevent a generation plagued by frailty and disease.

Egypt ranks 101st on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).

The index assesses dietary diversity and food safety across 113 countries and is issued by Economist Impact.

The fact that more than one-third of Egyptians suffer from anaemia raises serious concerns about the continued deterioration of living and economic conditions, potentially signalling an impending health crisis and social unrest, especially amid rising poverty levels and warnings of a possible hunger uprising.

The UN reports that the percentage of Egyptians suffering from malnutrition rose from 5.2 per cent in 2011 to 8.5 per cent in 2023, with nine million suffering from malnutrition and 33 million facing food insecurity. Additionally, 28.3 per cent of women of childbearing age (15–49 years) suffer from anaemia.

Behind this anaemia are bodies worn down by poverty and stomachs deprived of protein and essential vitamins, filled instead with bread and water, and only minimal healthy food or necessary calorie intake.

Osama Sayed, 20, noted that a simple fava bean sandwich — the cheapest and most popular meal in Egypt — now costs EGP 7 ($0.14), while a box of koshari — the second most popular meal — costs between EGP 25 ($0.50) and EGP 50 ($1). This means that food alone consumes most of an average person’s income, he pointed out.

According to the former head of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate and economic expert Mamdouh El-Wali, the officially reported poverty rate of 29.7 per cent in 2019 was revised under official pressure before being published. In an article published by Al Jazeera titled “The Poorest of the Poor in Egypt… A Troubling Image Painted by Numbers”, El-Wali asserted that the official poverty figures no longer reflect reality and that the official poverty line — EGP 857 per month (about $17) — is no longer viable.

Similarly, Mahmoud Fouad, Director of the independent rights group Right to Medicine, cast doubt on official statistics regarding anaemia rates, asserting that the actual figures are much higher. Meanwhile, Ashraf Amin MP submitted an official question about the government’s plans and policies to address such chronic health issues.

The Egyptian government claims that it has provided monthly assistance to 7.7 million families over the past decade through its Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) social protection programme. Approximately three million families have left the programme due to improved living conditions, said Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy.

However, this alleged improvement appears to have had little impact in addressing the issue of anaemia, seen by many as a direct consequence of the economic policies implemented by Al-Sisi since taking office in mid-2014.

Analyst Emad Hamdy believes that the president’s policies have impoverished Egyptians.

He added that their dietary patterns will continue to deteriorate in both quality and quantity due to rising inflation, the steady devaluation of the currency, and the government’s insistence on removing subsidies. This, he warned, will push even more Egyptians into the grip of anaemia soon.

READ: Thousands of Egyptians rally at Rafah Crossing to demand aid be allowed into Gaza