UNFPA Egypt and Pharco Pharmaceuticals signed a strategic two-year partnership on May 30, to enhance family planning services and contribute to ending unmet need for family planning in Egypt under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Population. The partnership entails a campaign titled “Life Path,” aimed at providing family planning services and methods.

The signing was attended by Minister of Health and Population Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, UNFPA Representative in Egypt Frederika Meijer, and CEO of Pharco Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Sherine Helmy.

Under the partnership, Techno Pharma, a subsidiary of Pharco, will train 2000 family planning service providers, and offer mobile clinics offering family planning services and methods in remote and underserved areas.

The partnership aims at building the capacity of family planning service providers, while highlighting the importance of couples’ rights to choose the number and spacing of their children.

According to the Egyptian Family Health Survey 2021, 14 percent of married women have an unmet need for family planning. The survey also points to an increase in the number of women using family planning services to reach 66 percent, compared to 58 percent in 2014.

Dr. Helmy said that the cooperation comes in light of the company's keenness to establish partnerships with various private and public sector institutions, in a way that serves and benefits the Egyptian society.

Helmy added that the partnership is also in line with the National Population Strategy and Egypt’s Vision 2030.

On her part, Meijer said, “UNFPA wants a world with Zero unmet need for family planning and this partnership with Pharco brings us closer to that goal. UNFPA employs a multi-sectoral and multi-partnership approach to provide the best reproductive health services. This includes engaging different stakeholders, from governments, to NGOs, to the private sector. UNFPA’s partnership with Pharco Pharmaceuticals is based on this shared agenda.”

UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a range of reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning.