The General Secretariat, in collaboration with Egypt's National Population Council under the Ministry of Health and Population, convened a videoconference on 18 March to discuss the Golden One Thousand Days Initiative, Egypt's pioneering approach to mitigating population growth.
The session featured Her Excellency Dr. Abla El-Alfi, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population and Family Development Affairs and Chairperson of the National Population Council, alongside delegations from various Arab nations.
The conference aimed to examine Egypt's innovative Golden One Thousand Days initiative, which highlights the promotion of reproductive health and underscores the critical importance of a child's first 1,000 days. This period is pivotal for enhancing maternal and child health and for reducing unintended birth rates. Discussions also focused on fostering regional collaboration to leverage shared expertise in formulating national and regional strategies to effectively address population challenges.
Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Social Affairs Sector, remarked that population dynamics are multifaceted. A nation's demographic weight can serve as a double-edged sword: it can be an asset and a valuable resource if harnessed effectively, or it can become a burden, especially when resources are scarce amid increasing demands. Such scenarios can impede societal development and prosperity, adversely affecting economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
