Amna directs the participation of population units in governorates executive councils

22 Oct 2022


In the context of the state's efforts to implement a population program aimed at achieving a balance between population growth rates and the resources available in the governorates, maximizing investment in human capacity, improving its characteristics, and raising the rates of implementation of sustainable development that the Egyptian state is moving towards achieving, especially since the population issue has become an increasing challenge that is a major burden, since it is consumed by development efforts...

Major General Hisham Amna, Minister of Local Development, stressed that the political leadership attaches great importance to the population issue, and places it at the top of the priorities of all state agencies, to achieve a balance between population growth rates in proportion to the state's resources, and to reflect positively on the acceleration of development, noting the ministry's efforts to activate activities carried out by population units in the governorates, which were established through a "project to accelerate local response to the population issue" to support local partnerships and monitor problems related to the dimensions of the population issue and the themes of the strategy National Population and Development, and its solution in cooperation with the executive bodies of the governorates and civil society.

Amna instructed the governors to participate in the meetings of the executive councils of the governorates to discuss their plans and achievements, overcome obstacles and solve problems experienced by the people of the governorates, or implement any initiatives through networking with the services directorates participating in the meetings of the executive council of each governorate, while encouraging and encouraging the distinguished people's coordinators in return for their efforts, besides their original work, to monitor problems and coordinate with the working partners in order to solve them, and to follow up on activities to achieve the goals National Population and Development Strategy 2030.

The Minister stressed the need for population units to coordinate well with the Directorates of health with regard to family planning programmes and to provide all facilities in order to reach all female beneficiaries in centres and villages and to activate the role of rural leaders in order to raise awareness and increase rates of use of family planning methods in order to reduce reproductive rates, which would have a bearing on the balance of population and economic growth rates in the governorates. He stressed the importance of expanding the organization of literacy and adult education programmes and opening more classes through cooperation with all relevant bodies, including universities, in order to benefit from students in Eradicate illiteracy and coordinate with the Values and Life programme to spread values among young people and students in schools and to promote positive values towards reproductive behaviour and reproductive health.

The Minister also directed the organization of population caravans, under the direct supervision of the Governors, to contribute to improving the population characteristics of the people of the governorates by providing them with integrated services, enumerating the most prominent results, and submitting them to the Ministry of Local Development to monitor governorates' commitment to the areas of the population strategy and to identify best practices and circulate them to governorates with similar conditions.

The Minister pointed out that the Ministry is interested in building the capacity of population units staff in the governorates and developing their career skills, as reflected in the implementation of local development plans and programs in accordance with the development visions that were designed for them. He said that the current training plan for municipalities includes 5 training courses related to population issues, including an advanced course that was implemented last August to prepare TOT trainers specializing in population policy to speed up local response to population issues and improve the quality of life of Egyptian families to work as trainers in training centers In the governorates, to train workers in the field of population issues in a decentralized way , stressing that the Ministry will implement during the coming period 4 courses related to population dynamics, preparation of follow-up reports, strategic plan for population and development, population plan, community participation, and population estimates.

General Hisham Amna pointed out that the central population unit of the Ministry, in coordination with the population units in the governorates, is activating the population informatics system necessary for monitoring and evaluation to ensure results-based management of the population file. The Ministry also cooperated with the information center and supported decision making in the Cabinet to create an electronic system for monitoring indicators of the National Population Strategic Plan. Provincial information centers were trained to enter data and prepare indicators for the electronic information system for population and development Geospatial Population as part of the Ministry's portal; Preparation of a monitoring and follow-up manual to support the population work team in following up on the plan for each governorate annually; supporting the role of young people in the process of formulating population policies and participating in decision-making in the governorates through representation in regional population councils; and supporting local community participation to ensure sustainability in the implementation of population activities.

Major General Amna added that the population units in the governorates have built partnerships with national initiatives, including the "Hayat Kareema " initiative and the "Etnein Kifaya" “Two is enough “ program, pointing out that some governorates have made local initiatives such as (Khelftek Masoulitak - Ehsebha Sah ) “ Your offspring are your responsibility Make it right”.in Giza, and (El Khelfah masoulia – sharek fi Altanmya) “Procreation is a responsibility_ take part in the development “ in El Behaira Governorate with the aim of education for young people and learning about funding and training opportunities, and implementing awareness seminars on population issues, and population caravans to serve centers and villages, and conducting a community dialogue to raise awareness among citizens of the issue, while training women and youth Heritage, environmental and manual crafts, providing loans through the Local Development Fund and your project “Mashroak" program , and all sources of financing to implement small and micro projects, and marketing their products through traditional exhibitions and through the "Ayady Misr" "Hands of Egypt" platform launched by the Ministry for electronic marketing of these crafts.