Copyright egyptian-gazette
CAIRO – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar chaired the regular meeting of the Ministerial Group for Human Development to discuss several topics at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The meeting was attended by Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal and Political Communication Affairs Mahmoud Fawzy, Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Rapporteur of the Supreme Advisory Committee for Human Development and former minister of communications and information technology Magid Osman as well as the committee’s technical secretariat, representatives from various ministries and relevant entities and several representatives from the World Bank. At the beginning of the meeting, Abdel Ghaffar praised the partnership with international organizations, particularly the World Bank, expressing his desire for further constructive discussions on the Human Capital Strategy. He said that the World Bank’s report on Egypt’s human capital indicators would serve as a roadmap for the ministerial group’s work in the coming period, aligning with global indicators and Egypt’s sustainable development plans. Spokesman for the Health Ministry Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said that the meeting reviewed the World Bank’s report on Egypt’s Human Capital Indicators, which addressed demographic and economic transformations and emphasized aligning national policies in health, education and social protection with global human capital development strategies. The report also reviewed challenges from early childhood to labor market entry and the minister stressed the importance of setting clear action plans to address these challenges, the spokesman said.7 The minister highlighted the need for joint work and integration among ministries and relevant bodies to implement human capital development plans across all life stages, from early childhood and preschool education to labor market entry. He reiterated the importance of increasing investment in education and health, expanding preschool coverage and ensuring universal access to quality early education as a cornerstone of future economic productivity. The meeting also discussed expanding childcare services and investing in kindergarten education, as well as reviewing Egypt’s successful experiences in reducing school dropout rates nationwide. The meeting addressed final preparations for the Third World Conference on Population, Health and Human Development scheduled on November 12–15 under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the spokesman said. He said that the conference would serve as an international platform to showcase Egypt’s efforts in human development, population, health and education.
