Under the auspices and in the presence of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Ministry of Health and Population kicked off the Global Congress on Population, Health and Development on September 5.

The opening ceremony brought together government officials, experts and policymakers from around the world to discuss linkages between population, health and development. UNFPA Regional Director for Arab States Laila Baker and UNFPA Representative in Egypt Frederika Meijer.

In his opening address, Minister of Health and Population Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said that it is more important to focus on population characteristics and demographic dividend, than population numbers.

He explained that Egypt’s young population can contribute to the country’s economic prosperity,

Baker participated in a panel discussion, during which she emphasized that reproductive health and rights are fundamental to individuals and families, and the social and economic development of communities and nations.

“When human numbers are tallied, it is very easy to overlook their rights,” Baker said, “birth rates are neither the problem nor the solution … having a choice is much more valuable.”