Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar witnessed on Tuesday the signing of a cooperation protocol between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Pharco Pharmaceutical Corporation, for supporting the Ministry of Health in implementing family planning programmes and enhancing reproductive health services.
The protocol was signed by Frederica Meyer, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund, and Sherine Helmy, the Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Pharco Pharmaceutical Group.
During his speech, the minister indicated that the programs that the state is working on to solve the population issue do not primarily look at the number of births only, but aim to achieve welfare and development in society through improving demographic characteristics and providing a safe life for newborns of all ages in various aspects (healthy, socially, psychologically).
He pointed out that during the past few years, the ministry has been keen to develop the healthcare infrastructure and develop various health facilities, in a way that guarantees the achievement of quality and expansion of the services provided to citizens and what they include reproductive health services.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained that the protocol included launching a campaign under the slogan “A Life Path”, aimed at reducing unmet needs for family planning in Egypt, strengthening family planning and reproductive health services, providing family planning services and means, and raising the efficiency of service providers from medical teams in health facilities, as well as spreading culture and community awareness among citizens.
According to the protocol, it is planned to train 2,000 family planning service providers, according to the latest scientific methods, to ensure support for family planning services and support the health of Egyptian women. Under the partnership, it is also planned to launch a number of mobile medical clinics for remote and disadvantaged areas to expand the scope of providing services and spreading awareness and culture among its citizens.
Sherine Helmy said that the cooperation stems from the company’s keenness to activate its strategy by establishing partnerships with various private and public sector institutions, in a way that serves and benefits the Egyptian society, within the framework of securing the local needs of medicines and the localization of their manufacture with international standards, and in accordance with strict local and international quality rules.
Frederica Meyer said that the UNFPA is working to end the unmet need for family planning, pointing out that this partnership is an important step towards achieving this goal, and that the fund adopts a multi-sectoral and multi-partnership approach to provide the best reproductive health services.
