Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Egypt’s addiction hotline offers free, confidential care as recovery efforts expand
In Egypt, a simple phone call to "16023" can mark the first brave step toward freedom from addiction. This year, the country’s Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse is making recovery more accessible, and compassionate, than ever.
During the first half of 2025, over 71,000 people, both new patients and those continuing their recovery, reached out for support via the fund’s confidential hotline. Importantly, more than 10,000 of these callers were residents of neighborhoods recently upgraded as part of Egypt’s efforts to replace informal settlements with safe, modern housing.
The hotline provides a lifeline in more ways than one. It offers not only treatment but also follow-up care, counseling, rehabilitation, and vital community reintegration, all completely free. Discretion and dignity are central: every service is delivered with strict confidentiality, and in accordance with international best practices.
Trust in the system is growing. Families play a pivotal role—over a third of calls for help come from patients themselves, while many others are made by concerned mothers, brothers, and sisters. The main motivating factor for seeking help? For many, it is a wake-up call about their health, financial struggles, or challenges at work.
Awareness campaigns on social media and television have significantly boosted the hotline’s visibility. With nearly 2 million followers on Facebook, the Fund’s messaging is reaching broader audiences, especially in cities like Cairo and Giza, where demand for services is highest due to dense populations.
The service is inclusive: anyone can call, including professional drivers, who are offered confidential help to curb drug use. The government runs parallel awareness programs for drivers and has intensified roadside drug testing, prioritizing public safety while also giving drivers a chance for rehabilitation—without penalties, as long as they seek help voluntarily.
Egypt’s patterns of drug use are changing, with synthetic drugs like “Strox,” “Voodoo,” and others becoming more common, followed by hashish, heroin, and tramadol. Regardless of the substance, the hotline remains a steady source of help, hope, and healing.
Dr. Amr Osman, Director of the Fund, reminds those struggling with addiction or supporting a loved one: “Help is always available, free, confidential, and without fear of punishment for those who approach us voluntarily.”
As more Egyptians choose the path of recovery, Egypt’s national hotline stands as a beacon of support, underscoring the country’s ongoing commitment to health, dignity, and compassion for all.