CAIRO - 21 October 2019: In the framework of the Egyptian Ministry of Health’s efforts to reduce population growth, the ministry declared on Sunday that around 20 million women have benefited from family planning and reproductive health services during the fiscal year 2018/2019, which is 17 percent higher than last year.
The statement explained that among the 20 million women, 2.8 million are benefiting from family planning services for the first time, according to Ahram online.
Sahar El-Sunbati, head of the health ministry’s population and family planning department, said that the ministry aims to reduce the country’s birth rate to 3.1 children per woman by the end of 2020 and 2.4 children per woman by the end of 2030.
El-Sunbati said that nearly 23 million contraceptives of various types were disbursed during the 2018/2019 fiscal year, including some 142,000 capsules, 855,000 intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD), 15.1 million mono-compound tablets, 5.8 million injections, and 1.5 million condoms.
During World Population Day in July, the Egyptian Cabinet said in a statement that population growth is forecasted to drop from 1.99 percent in 2017-2022 to 0.85 percent in 2047-2052. In 2052, the population is projected to reach over 153 million.
Last year, USAID Egypt announced that it will be contributing $19 million to help Egypt’s family planning efforts through a five-year programme.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity also launched in late 2018 the ‘Two Is Enough’ family-planning campaign to break the tradition of having large families in rural areas.
Mon, Oct. 21, 2019
