Facilities and Health Information
Medical care in Egypt falls short of U.S. standards. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo can provide a list of local hospitals and English-speaking physicians. Emergency and intensive care facilities are limited. Most Nile cruise boats do not have a ship's doctor, but some employ a medical practitioner of uncertain qualification. Hospital facilities in Luxor and Aswan are inadequate, and they are nonexistent at most other ports-of-call. The Egyptian ambulance service hotline is 123, but Egyptian ambulance service is not reliable.
Beaches on the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts are generally unpolluted. However, persons who swim in the Nile or its canals, walk barefoot in stagnant water, or drink untreated water are at risk of exposure to bacterial and other infections and the parasitic disease schistosomiasis (bilharzia).
It is generally safe to eat freshly prepared cooked food in hotels, on Nile cruise boats, and in mainstream restaurants. When selecting a restaurant, select a clean and reputable place,eat only freshly prepared, cooked foods, avoid all uncooked food including raw fruits and vegetables. Tap water in many locations is not potable. It is best to drink bottled water or water that has been boiled and filtered. Well-known brands of bottled beverages are generally considered to be safe if the seal is intact.
Drinking Water Source - % of rural population improved
98.8%
Drinking Water Source - % of total population unimproved
0.7%
Drinking Water Source - % of urban population improved
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 99.7% of population
total: 99.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 0.3% of population
total: 0.3% of population
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.07%
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
1.4
People Living with HIV/AIDS
11,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.75
Diseases - note
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds
Sanitation Facility Access - % of total population unimproved
4.1%
Sanitation Facility Access - % of urban population improved
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 98.2% of population
total: 98.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 1.8% of population
total: 1.1% of population
Sanitation Facility Access - % of rural population improved
94.4%
Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Food or Waterborne Disease (s)
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Water contact disease (s)
schistosomiasis