Healthier, Planned Families

Over three decades of assistance, USAID has helped the Government of Egypt reduce maternal mortality by more than 50%, and infant mortality by more than 70%.  The use of contraceptives has more than doubled, and the average Egyptian family size is now 3 children. 

Growing recognition that maternal/child health and family planning are inherently connected has led USAID to design one, integrated program.  To support Government of Egypt efforts in reducing population growth and improving the health and well-being of mothers and children, USAID assists the Ministry of Health and Population, NGOs and the private sector in:

• Advancing the integration of family planning/ reproductive health and maternal/child health services at the hospital and clinic level. 
• Renovating and equipping clinics, introducing quality assurance systems and encouraging client-oriented policies. 
• Renovating and equipping maternity wards, delivery rooms, operating theaters, and neonatal care centers, introducing quality assurance systems.
• Introducing a basic package of maternal/child health services (including essential obstetric and neonatal care) in districts where maternal and infant mortality is still high.
• Improving child care at the clinic level, including immunizations and appropriate treatment of childhood illnesses.
• Supporting polio eradication efforts.
• Ensuring availability of accurate and quality family planning information and services, particularly among the priority groups, such as youth,  newlyweds and women after childbirth.
• Ensuring sufficient supply of quality contraceptives.
• Increasing financial and program sustainability of integrated health services by promoting corporate and community participation, and public/private sector partnerships.

Infectious Disease Surveillance and Response

To assist in building Egypt’s capacity to conduct infectious disease surveillance and to respond to endemic and emerging diseases, USAID helps:

• Develop and improve a national infectious disease surveillance and response system,  including establishing USAID-supported units in all governorates.

• Define case standards and methods of investigation, improve infection control practices, and adopt safe laboratory habits.

• Develop and promote interventions leading to the prevention and control of blood-borne and other pathogens. 

•  Build the capacity of NGOs to work in the areas of HIV/AIDS.

• Improve quality of care through training of epidemiologists and other health providers.

Health Communication and Promotion

To enable families and communities to better protect and maintain their health, USAID helps the Government of Egypt and communities throughout Egypt understand health concerns and change health behaviors and lifestyle practices.  Specifically, USAID helps:

• Mobilize communities to conduct health education and promote utilization of health services, and trains community leaders to oversee community-level clinic management.
• Enhance the Government of Egypt, as well as NGO and commercial sector, capacity to develop and implement health advocacy and health promotion initiatives.
• Utilize a variety of communication tools, from large-scale mass media to targeted group and community-level interventions to increase clients’ health awareness and adoption of healthy practices.
• Coordinate and support health promotion topics and activities of USAID’s entire population and health program.