Cairo - Jan 23, 2025 - The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Youth and Sports marked the conclusion of the “Addressing Gaps in Reproductive Health and Rights in Egypt” project with the, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with the support of the Global Affairs Canada on January 23.

The project, that ran between July 2019 and September 2024, aimed to empower women and engage men with regards to family planning by increasing their awareness on reproductive health and family planning and enhancing access to quality family planning services across Egypt’s governorates.

The closing ceremony also brought together Mr. Yves Sassenrath, UNFPA Representative in Egypt, Mr. Ulric Shannon, Ambassador-designate of Canada to Egypt, Dr Abla Al-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population Affairs, Dr. Mona Essam, Assistant Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sustainable Development Affairs, with a video message from Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project was implemented by UNFPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Egyptian Family Planning Association (EFPA) and Etijah from the non-governmental sector, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation.

The project contributed to strengthening the capacity of the health system to provide reproductive health and family planning services through training service providers and procuring contraceptives. It also contributed to increasing women’s access to family planning and reproductive health services through mobile clinic campaigns in remote areas that offered services and counseling.

The project also employed innovative techniques to raise awareness on reproductive health and family planning, including through sports, theatre and music.

The closing ceremony saw the presentation of the project’s key achievements as well as the lessons learnt. It also included a discussion on the activities of the project between partners and people served by the project.

Dr. Abla Al-Alfy highlighted the efforts by the Government of Egypt to address health gaps in partnership with international organizations and civil society, explaining that this project aimed to improve the quality of life of the Egyptian citizen, and is an example of a long-term relationship and success over the past decades with UNFPA, which is a testament to the importance of cooperation to address health challenges.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador-Designate Ulrich Shannon highlighted that “promoting reproductive health and rights is a cornerstone of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy around the world. In a populous country like Egypt, and in so many other countries, addressing gaps in reproductive health and rights requires collective action and commitment from a range of stakeholders.” He went further to say, “It is encouraging that this project has been instrumental in improving the provision of reproductive health and family planning services through capacity building of healthcare providers, procurement of contraceptives and supporting mobile clinic campaigns in remote rural areas.”

On his part, Sassenrath said, “With the support of the Government of Canada, this project contributes to our joint efforts with the Government of Egypt to expand access to quality reproductive health and family planning services. When women have access to reproductive health services and are able to make decisions about their own bodies, they are more likely to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”

In his message, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, highlighted the need for engaging youth in reproductive health issues and their participation in all development activities, pointing to the establishment of the Population Awareness Clubs, which total more than 400 clubs across Egypt, in cooperation with UNFPA, to raise awareness among youth about reproductive health.

On behalf of Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Dr. Noha Essam, Assistant Minister, said that this project embodies the joint commitment to ensure access to reproductive health services, stressing that Egypt realizes that access to reproductive health services is a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development and improving the quality of life of citizens.