Friday March 29th, 2024
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USAID to Start EGP 340 Million Family Planning Programme in Egypt

USAID will be working with the Egyptian Government to slow down Egypt's population growth before it's too late.

Staff Writer

Egypt's population has been growing at a rapid pace in the last few years, with the current population numbering at least 100 million. The rate at which the population has been growing has had an impact on all of the states services, namely health care and housing as well as job creation. Unemployment is one of the biggest issues resulting from this massive population size and USAID along with the US government want to help Egypt slow down its population growth.

USAID will be contributing $19 million (that's nearly EGP 339.5 million) to launch the 5-year Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programme in cooperation (and at the request of) the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, according to the US Embassy's website. The Embassy also stated that Egyptian officials and President El Sisi himself have made calls to the US government to "recognize how overpopulation poses a threat to Egypt's national development, and is part of the U.S. government's commitment to stand with Egypt in its economic and social development."

According to the Embassy's press release, USAID's director in Egypt, Sherry F. Carlin, stated they "know that USAID family planning programs have made tremendous impact in the past. [They] stand poised again to be a part of the solution to the rapid growth in Egypt's fertility rate." The embassy and USAID will hopefully play a large role in slowing down Egypt's raging population problem by promoting family planning services as well as improving the quality of services at Egyptian family planning centres and providing technical assistance. The programme will be implemented in 9 governorates as well as some areas of Alexandria and Cairo. Perhaps the most important part of this initiative might be increasing the use of contraceptives among Egyptians or maybe lowering the price so that they can actually afford them. Egyptians have to learn eventually that sex can't go wrong if you shield your dong.

Main image by VOA News