UNFPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population and the National Population Council, organized a roundtable discussion on using social marketing principles and techniques for reproductive health on March 20, with the participation of Frederika Meijer, UNFPA Representative, Dr. Tarek Tawfik, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population Affairs.

The discussion reviewed experiences of social marketing programs from other countries, namely India and Yemen.

Social marketing seeks to leverage marketing concepts to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good. It uses behavior change theory, market research, and consumer insight to inform the delivery of health information, products, and services.

“Contraceptive social marketing techniques will help in expanding the reach and choices through filling the gap in availability and provision of methods at affordable prices and to reach the underserved communities by engaging the NGOs and private sector,” Meijer said.

The social marketing intervention is to complement the work of the Ministry of Health and Population’s efforts to provide family planning methods through filling the gap in the unmet need, availability and provision of methods at affordable prices and to the underserved communities.

Dr. Tawfik agreed with participants to establish a steering committee headed by the National Population Council and supported by UNFPA, to identify the most appropriate model for the Egyptian context to be adopted and adapted for implementation. The committee will also identify potential partners from the government, private sector, and civil society. “A market segmentation research to understand the target groups and their needs is an essential step,” Dr.Tawfik highlighted.