Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health and Population and Head of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Health Ministers, chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the “Social Determinants of Reproductive Health Tool Bulletin,” which was organized by the United Nations Fund United Population Affairs, in cooperation with the Center for Social Research at the American University, this meeting came within the framework of following up on the implementation of Resolution No. humanity, especially with regard to maternal and child mortality rates. He also focused on population issues such as unplanned pregnancy and the social impact on public health, which are an integral part of human development.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar confirmed that the statistics issued by The United Nations Development Program and the World Bank’s Human Development Programs strongly indicate the importance of maternal and child health during the first six years of life, which is a crucial stage for achieving progress in sustainable development.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister stressed the importance of this event to discuss health challenges related to maternal and child health, especially in light of Egypt’s 2030 sustainable development goals, adding that the appointment of a Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development is a qualitative leap within the efforts made to achieve Egypt’s comprehensive vision, which focuses On building the Egyptian human being on the foundations of social justice.
The official spokesman pointed out that Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stressed that achieving sustainable development begins and ends with building the Egyptian human being on the foundations of social justice, which guarantees equal opportunities for all, explaining that Human development is the main focus of comprehensive and sustainable development, and aims to enhance human health and well-being, pointing out the necessity of developing all aspects of human life, health, education, and social to achieve those goals.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar indicated that Egypt has achieved tangible progress in some areas. Health indicators such as increased rates of coverage of basic health services, in addition to the gradual decrease in maternal and child mortality rates, noting that cooperation between various ministries and relevant bodies has contributed to strengthening health care, as Egypt has succeeded in achieving the sustainable development goals with regard to maternal mortality, as it has decreased The rate is 40 deaths per 100,000 births.
The minister added that Egypt continues to work to improve access to health care, especially in remote geographical areas, and that there are efforts being made to achieve health justice and ensure comprehensive access to services, noting The government is focusing on enhancing integration between different sectors to ensure the provision of comprehensive services that contribute to achieving sustainable development and health equity.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar also stressed that Egypt is working to meet unmet needs in the field of reproductive health by raising Coverage rates in primary care centers, and training health personnel to provide long-term contraceptive services, noting that Egypt has achieved remarkable progress in providing family and reproductive counseling services, with the aim of enhancing the ability of Egyptian families to make informed health decisions related to reproductive health.
The Minister also praised the role of scientific research conducted by the Center for Social Research at the American University in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund, which addressed issues of reproductive health and violence against women. He stressed that this research helps in launching strategies that contribute to improving population characteristics and promoting social justice for mothers and children.
The Minister also pointed out that empowering women economically is an essential part of human development efforts, and that any decrease in women’s participation in the labor market negatively affects the achievement of development goals, and stressed the necessity of providing equal opportunities for women through… Social and economic policies.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stressed the importance of scientific evidence in guiding health policies to achieve equitable access to distinguished health services, noting that the Ministry of Health and Population is adopting a digital transformation strategy, and has established an electronic platform at the Center Information and decision-making support for the Council of Ministers to raise all national strategies, follow up on their implementation, analyze gaps, and find appropriate solutions.
Within the framework of the meeting, Dr. Abla Alfi, Deputy Minister of Health for Population Affairs and Family Development, spoke, stressing that the meeting represents a decisive moment to strengthen Fair and sustainable health systems, and stressed that promoting reproductive health is an essential part of achieving health justice and comprehensive development.
Dr. Abla Alfi indicated that the National Population and Development Strategy focuses on spacing successive pregnancies for a period of between 3 and 5 days. years, in order to preserve the rights of children and mothers to obtain optimal health care, and she explained that this strategy aims to achieve a total fertility rate of 2.1 for every woman of childbearing age, which was shown by the results of the Egyptian Household Survey for the year 2021.
Also. Al-Alfi stressed that the Ministry of Health is working to integrate reproductive health concepts into school curricula, and to support civil and governmental society to achieve development goals.
She added that health service providers are working to support reproductive rights and confront social challenges such as violence against women. and early marriage, with a focus on empowering women and girls to obtain their rights to education, work, and independence.
