Egypt releases figures on birth control services in Q1 of 2022

CAIRO – 14 April 2022: The Ministry of Health and Population declared Wednesday that the number of female beneficiaries of reproductive health services – offered through mobile clinics, caravans, and door-to-door visit campaigns - amounted to 847,955 in the first quarter of 2022.

The ministry's spokesperson, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, pointed out that the figure of reproductive health caravans operated at low-income and remote areas recorded 348.

As for door-to-door visits, they were carried out in 23 out of 27 governorates. Those are Cairo, Giza, Qalyoubeyah, Alexandria, Beheira, Matrouh, Daqahliyah, Gharbia, Sharqia, Kafr El Sheikh, Menoufeya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailiyah, Suez, Red Sea, New Valley, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Asyut, Qena, and Aswan.

The spokesperson added that technical support and methods of birth control are provided to clinics operated by civil society. In that context, he stated that five clinics affiliated to NGOs have been recently launched in Cairo, Gharbia, and Menya. That is in addition to two others in the Red Sea.

As such, the total number of family planning clinics accredited by the Ministry of Health and Population and run by NGOs became 484, including 60 clinics affiliated to the Ministry of Solidarity's project "Two Are Enough."

Head of the Population and Family Planning Sector at the ministry Hossam Abbas stated that 7,591 medics – working for the government - have been trained on delivering advice on birth control, and pertinent medical services. Moreover, 344 private physicians and pharmacists were given a similar training at the governorates of Giza, Cairo, Beni Suef, Menya, Asyut, Sohag, Qena, and Aswan.

Abbas said that the number of visits to family planning units, since mid-2021, recorded 5,712,428, including 621,970 by first-timers, and 2,337,287 by women referred by "rural female pioneers" who held 4,429,289 door-to-door visits nationwide.  

As such, 7,160,847 different methods of birth control have been granted to patients. Moreover, the rural pioneers also held 258,619 lectures on family planning at public venues.