Publication:
Policy and Strategic Priorities for Egypt to Reap its Demographic Dividend: Policy Brief

Abstract
Egypt’s population program began in the early 1970s and was very successful in bringing down the country’s total fertility rate (TFR), the mean number of children a woman will have by age 50. Key investments in reproductive health and family planning (FP), as well as women’s empowerment, contributed to an impressive decline in the country’s TFR from 4.5 to 3.0 between 1988 and 2008. Egypt’s population will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. For Egypt to reap its demographic dividend, the authors present six policy and strategic priorities that - if well implemented - should yield the greatest reduction in fertility. The six priorities are: increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) - the central priority; reducing school dropouts; increasing the female labor force participation rate (LFPR); delaying age of marriage; leveraging social protection programs; and improving the governance of the population program.
Link to Data Set
Citation
El-Saharty, Sameh; Elshalakani, Amr; Zeitoun, Nahla,; Crumpton, Bridget; Kazem, Amira; Cornelia, Jesse; El-Assiouty, Souraya. 2022. Policy and Strategic Priorities for Egypt to Reap its Demographic Dividend: Policy Brief. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/39452 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Nepal
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-11) Ohno, Naoko; El-Saharty, Sameh; Sarker, Intissar; Bhattarai, Manav; Secci, Federica
    Nepal has made a remarkable progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in extreme poverty and education. Nepal has achieved MDG 5 but only one in three births is attended by skilled medical personnel. Disparities exist in access to maternal care by residence and wealth quintiles. The total fertility rate has declined to 2.4 in 2012, along with increased contraceptive use at 50 percent. High unmet need of 27 percent still remains. Nutritional deficiencies for pregnant and lactating women remain a challenge. Nepal has initiated a number of key interventions to respond to increased adolescents needs for health services, improve accessibility and quality of services at local level, and enhance equitable access to services through micro-planning exercise and provision of financial protection.
  • Publication
    Bangladesh : Maternal and Reproductive Health at a Glance
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-11) Ohno, Naoko; El-Saharty, Sameh; Sarker, Intissar; Alam, Bushra Binte; Secci, Federica
    Bangladesh is among the most densely populated countries in the world. Poverty remains high at 43 percent of the population subsist on less than United States (U.S.) $1.25 per day (2010). Bangladesh achieved several millennium development goal (MDG) targets in education, health, and poverty reduction. Gender equality and women's empowerment are important determinants of reproductive health. While fertility and contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) are evenly distributed, wide gaps in access to maternal health services remain. Bangladesh will need to focus on increasing political commitment to adolescent health; focusing interventions on high-fertility and high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) areas; addressing human resources constraints; and harnessing the use of technology.
  • Publication
    Egypt and the Millennium Development Goals : Egypt and the Millennium Development Goals
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-02) Richardson, Gail; El-Saharty, Sameh; Chase, Susan
    There are challenges that hinder progress toward the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs), targets in Egypt. These challenges include the pervasive differentials and gaps in the delivery, availability, and quality of publicly financed services and programs, the gender gaps; the fragmented legal system; and the lack of opportunity for civil society to participate in the development process. The report outlines a number of strategies to accelerate achievement of the MDGs in Egypt, including: 1) strengthening government stewardship and regulation, 2) encouraging community participation, 3) improving targeting of publicly financed services, 4) enhancing knowledge and awareness and promoting healthy behaviors, and 5) adopting a multisectoral framework. As 2015 approaches, there will be even greater attention given to the MDGs. The extent to which they are achieved will provide a benchmark for assessing how effective governments and the development community are at supporting human development. The momentum for achieving the MDGs in Egypt needs to be sustained to demonstrate that it has the systems, resources, and structures in place to improve the lives of its people. It is equally important that the focus on achieving the MDGs is not at the expense of programs and priority areas not directly linked to the MDGs.
  • Publication
    Curbing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Djibouti
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2010-10) Ravano, Wendy V.; El-Saharty, Sameh; Ali, Omar; Abdel-Rahmane, Maissa
    This study outlines the initial challenge presented by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, describes Djibouti's response, reviews the results achieved and the enabling factors in curbing the spread of the epidemic, and identifies remaining challenges. Between 2002 and 2008, HIV prevalence among young pregnant women aged 15-24 was reduced from 2.7 percent to 1.9 percent and among sentinel surveillance groups from 2.5 percent to 1.9 percent. HIV prevalence among tuberculosis patients was reduced from an estimated 22 percent to 12 percent. Condom use during last intercourse outside marriage increased from 27 percent to 55 percent and reached 95 percent among sex workers. Among the general population, awareness of HIV/AIDS increased to 95 percent and knowledge about transmission and prevention rose to 50 percent. Political commitment, engagement of community and religious leaders, rigorous communication, social marketing and the provision of an integrated package of medical and social services, and donor harmonization were among the key factors that contributed to the achievement of these results. Despite these impressive results in a relatively short period, Djibouti still has to address several challenges and consolidate program gains, but most importantly, funds are being mobilized from government resources to sustain the national AIDS control program.
  • Publication
    India : Maternal and Reproductive Health at a Glance
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-11) Ohno, Naoko; El-Saharty, Sameh; Sarker, Intissar; Rajan, Vikram; Secci, Federica
    India is the third largest economy and has the second largest population in the world. It achieved millennium development goal (MDG) on poverty reduction; however, gender inequality still persists. Maternal mortality rate is 190 deaths per 100,000 live births, representing a 65 percent decline from 1990. Fertility fell to 2.5, while contraceptive prevalence rate increased to nearly 55 percent. Seventy-four percent of women sought antenatal care (ANC) from a qualified provider and 52 percent of births were attended by qualified providers. Wide gaps in contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) and access to skilled-birth attendance remain by geography and wealth quintile. India will focus on preventing unwanted pregnancies especially among adolescents; improving demand-side strategies; strengthening access and quality in public and private sectors; improving antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care; strengthening monitoring and evaluation (M and E) systems and reducing inequities; and improving nutrition.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Economic Recovery
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-06) Malpass, David; Georgieva, Kristalina; Yellen, Janet
    World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the world facing major challenges, including COVID, climate change, rising poverty and inequality and growing fragility and violence in many countries. He highlighted vaccines, working closely with Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, the World Bank has conducted over one hundred capacity assessments, many even more before vaccines were available. The World Bank Group worked to achieve a debt service suspension initiative and increased transparency in debt contracts at developing countries. The World Bank Group is finalizing a new climate change action plan, which includes a big step up in financing, building on their record climate financing over the past two years. He noted big challenges to bring all together to achieve GRID: green, resilient, and inclusive development. Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, mentioned focusing on vulnerable people during the pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, focused on giving everyone a fair shot during a sustainable recovery. All three commented on the importance of tackling climate change.
  • Publication
    Global Regulations, Institutional Development, and Market Authorities Perspective Toolkit (GRIDMAP) - Framework and Methodology
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-12-05) World Bank
    GRIDMAP--the Global Regulations, Institutional Development, and Market Authorities Perspective Toolkit--provides emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) with a “Minimum Package” of policies to build markets that are trustworthy, safe, and competitive. The “Minimum Package” sets out essential regulatory provisions, institutional arrangements, and implementation and enforcement needed for those markets to thrive. GRIDMAP will provide modules focused on various subjects of market regulation, such as consumer protection and data markets.
  • Publication
    Remarks at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-10-12) Malpass, David
    World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed biodiversity and climate change being closely interlinked, with terrestrial and marine ecosystems serving as critically important carbon sinks. At the same time climate change acts as a direct driver of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss. The World Bank has financed biodiversity conservation around the world, including over 116 million hectares of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas, 10 million hectares of Terrestrial Protected Areas, and over 300 protected habitats, biological buffer zones and reserves. The COVID pandemic, biodiversity loss, climate change are all reminders of how connected we are. The recovery from this pandemic is an opportunity to put in place more effective policies, institutions, and resources to address biodiversity loss.
  • Publication
    Media and Messages for Nutrition and Health
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-06) Calleja, Ramon V., Jr.; Mbuya, Nkosinathi V.N.; Morimoto, Tomo; Thitsy, Sophavanh
    The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has experienced rapid and significant economic growth over the past decade. However, poor nutritional outcomes remain a concern. Rates of childhood undernutrition are particularly high in remote, rural, and upland areas. Media have the potential to play an important role in shaping health and nutrition–related behaviors and practices as well as in promoting sociocultural and economic development that might contribute to improved nutritional outcomes. This report presents the results of a media audit (MA) that was conducted to inform the development and production of mass media advocacy and communication strategies and materials with a focus on maternal and child health and nutrition that would reach the most people from the poorest communities in northern Lao PDR. Making more people aware of useful information, essential services and products and influencing them to use these effectively is the ultimate goal of mass media campaigns, and the MA measures the potential effectiveness of media efforts to reach this goal. The effectiveness of communication channels to deliver health and nutrition messages to target beneficiaries to ensure maximum reach and uptake can be viewed in terms of preferences, satisfaction, and trust. Overall, the four most accessed media channels for receiving information among communities in the study areas were village announcements, mobile phones, television, and out-of-home (OOH) media. Of the accessed media channels, the top three most preferred channels were village announcements (40 percent), television (26 percent), and mobile phones (19 percent). In terms of trust, village announcements were the most trusted source of information (64 percent), followed by mobile phones (14 percent) and television (11 percent). Hence of all the media channels, village announcements are the most preferred, have the most satisfied users, and are the most trusted source of information in study communities from four provinces in Lao PDR with some of the highest burden of childhood undernutrition.
  • Publication
    Education, Social Norms, and the Marriage Penalty
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-16) Bussolo, Maurizio; Rexer, Jonah; Triyana, Margaret
    A growing literature attributes gender inequality in labor market outcomes in part to the reduction in female labor supply after childbirth, the child penalty. However, if social norms constrain married women’s activities outside the home, then marriage can independently reduce employment, even in the absence childbearing. Given the correlation in timing between childbirth and marriage, conventional estimates of child penalties will conflate these two effects. The paper studies the marriage penalty in South Asia, a context featuring conservative gender norms and low female labor force participation. The study introduces a split-sample, pseudo-panel approach that allows for the separation of marriage and child penalties even in the absence of individual-level panel data. Marriage reduces women’s labor force participation in South Asia by 12 percentage points, whereas the marginal penalty of childbearing is small. Consistent with the central roles of both opportunity costs and social norms, the marriage penalty is smaller among cohorts with higher education and less conservative gender attitudes.