Egypt partners with private sector on maternal, child health push

The protocol, signed at the New Administrative Capital, aims to integrate private sector resources into a government-led strategy focused on early childhood development, reproductive health, and neonatal care. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar attended the signing ceremony.

The initiative targets the first 1,000 days of a child’s life — from conception to age two — a critical window for physical and cognitive development. The plan includes expanding access to skilled midwives, scaling training for obstetricians, enhancing neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and launching nationwide health education campaigns to reduce elective C-sections.

“We are working to realign healthcare delivery with international best practices while ensuring women and children receive high-quality, evidence-based care,” ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said in a statement.

The programme also mandates the creation of “mother-and-child friendly” NICUs, training on natural births, and postnatal family planning services. It includes a monitoring component to track outcomes and a data platform to assess the impact of reduced C-section rates.

Egypt’s caesarean delivery rate has risen to among the highest globally, often driven by convenience rather than medical necessity — a trend the government is now aggressively targeting with policy, education, and infrastructure reforms.

The agreement with the chamber is part of Egypt’s broader push to expand public-private collaboration under its Vision 2030 plan, which includes improving health metrics and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.

The initiative will begin implementation this year across participating private hospitals.