For Dr. Ahmed Ghurab, director of Family Planning in the Ismailia governorate, developing creative activities and suggestions to address the problems facing the contraceptives supply chain is important to ensure the delivery of good and sustainable services. 

That is why the Ministry of Health and Population, UNFPA, and within the framework of the EU support to Egypt’s National Population Strategy project, conducted four training workshops targeting staff from the ministry’s family planning sector staff at central level, as well as family planning managers and nursing supervisors from all governorates.

The workshops trained participants on the standard operating procedures of logistic management information system (LMIS) and took place in August and September.

The LMIS is designed to manage family planning commodities within the ministry. The system is used to aggregate, analyze, validate and display data.

The workshops also aimed at preparing and developing the costed operational plans for all governorates based on the national costed implementation plan of family planning commodities.

Dr. Howayda Hussein, Director of Family Planning in Suez, said she benefited from the workshops, namely the “interventions and activities presented that contribute to addressing existing weaknesses and problems affecting the supply of family planning methods.”

The workshops were held in Cairo, Assiut, Alexandria and Port Said, bringing together participants from Suez, South Sinai, North Sinai, Ismailia, Damietta and Daqahleya.

Participants particularly benefited from exchanging ideas with one another, as the workshops present an opportunity for them to engage and communicate.

Dr. Sahar Muhammad Thabet Ali Al-Din, Medical Supervisor in Daqahleya, said that the “exchange of experiences between governorates with their various challenges regarding the means to reach service delivery units and how to deal with them” was especially beneficial.

The workshops adhered the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing and personal protective equipment, which were provided with the support of the European Union.

All workshops were supervised and attended by Dr. Hossam Abbas, Head of the ministry’s Family Planning Sector and Dr. Nadia Saleh, Director General of the Contraceptives Department.