Professor Dr. Ashraf El-Araby, President of the Institute of National Planning Institute (INP), chaired the main dialogue session during the launch event for the research study titled “Investing to End Preventable Maternal Deaths in Egypt.” The study was implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The session featured a select group of senior officials and experts:
- Professor Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din, Health Advisor to the President of Egypt.
- Professor Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, Assistant Minister of Health and Population for Health Sector Reform and the Ministry’s Official Spokesperson.
- Yasser Sobhi, Deputy Minister of Finance for Fiscal Policies.
- Professor Dr. Maha El-Adawy, former Director of Population Health Promotion at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The session aimed to highlight the study’s findings and explore pathways to translate them into actionable policies and implementation measures. This was achieved through in-depth discussions and the exchange of expertise among key stakeholders from national and international entities.
Discussions covered several vital themes, most notably:
- The role of the study’s findings in guiding public policy towards improving women’s health.
- Prioritizing financing for reproductive health, with a focus on reducing preventable maternal deaths.
- The social and cultural dimensions influencing marriage and childbearing decisions, and their impact on women’s health realities in Egypt.
Speakers emphasized the critical need for strong political and societal commitment to comprehensively address maternal mortality. They stressed that solutions must extend beyond the medical domain to include developing health legislation, enhancing the training of medical professionals, and improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery systems. This integrated approach is essential to ensure comprehensive and safe healthcare for Egyptian women.
Participants underscored the Egyptian state’s ongoing efforts to support the health sector and its increasing focus on investing in human capital. They highlighted human capital investment as the cornerstone for achieving sustainable development and social justice, particularly ensuring women’s right to comprehensive healthcare.
This dialogue session reflects INP’s national commitment to supporting evidence-based public policies and fostering constructive societal dialogue on priority development issues, foremost among them women’s health and their right to a safe and dignified life.