CAIRO, Sept 27 (Aswat Masriya)- Egypt's Health Ministry is finalizing a draft law for a comprehensive health insurance system to cover all citizens, said Health Minister Ahmed Emad al-Din Rady on Sunday.

The minister said that the new public health insurance system will benefit around 10 million Egyptians who live in poverty, according to a survey by the ministry of social solidarity.

He added that the state will bear the cost of the proposed healthcare system, allocating three percent of Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP) to fund it, Emad al-Din told state-run news agency MENA.

The current health insurance law, in effect since 1964, covers about 50 million Egyptians, of whom only 10 million benefit from the service.

The World Bank had recommended that Egypt expand its health insurance coverage to encompass all Egyptians, especially those who work in the informal sector, by 2030.