The issue of accelerated population growth is one of the most important issues facing development efforts and distributive justice, and the medium-term plan for sustainable development is concerned with including the population dimension in all areas of development, and emphasizing the importance of controlling population growth.
The world celebrates World Population Day, which falls on July 11, as it aims to raise awareness of population-related issues. In this context, Dr. Hala Al-Saeed, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, said that the population increase is devouring the fruits of development.
In her capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Demographic Center in Cairo, Al-Saeed explained that it is the first regional center for population studies and research, providing training programs, seminars and conferences in the field of the center’s work, providing advice to national and international bodies, conducting surveys and implementing research projects in the field of population and related sciences, noting the significant role For the center in the African continent with regard to awareness, training and education.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development added that the large increases in population numbers compared to the available resources undermine development efforts in any country, stressing that the population issue is a very urgent issue, as the population is a wealth as long as the resources are available, pointing to the importance of a balance between the population and the available resources.
Al-Saeed added that the issue of rapid population growth is one of the most important issues facing development efforts and distributive justice, as it results in structural imbalances in the pattern of resource distribution and increasing pressures on public services.
Al-Saeed affirmed that in recognition of the seriousness of the issue of population growth, the medium-term plan for sustainable development was concerned with including the population dimension in all areas of development, emphasizing the importance of controlling population growth, and activating relevant programs to ensure the improvement of the quality of life for the Egyptian family, and the optimal investment of human resources in strengthening efforts developmental.
She added that the high rate of population growth to record about 2.56% in the period from 2006 to 2017, according to the results of the population census in 2017, is an unprecedented rate that would impede development efforts in such a way that citizens do not feel a real tangible improvement in their standard of living, which called for emphasizing the interest regulating population growth.
Al-Saeed added that the population of Egypt exceeded 100 million people in February 2020, with an annual increase of 2.3 million people, and 7,000 new births per day, which represents a danger.
She emphasized that activating the efforts of family planning programs and intensifying awareness campaigns about the danger of rapid population growth become imperatives for the possibility of launching into development without restrictions and burdens that impede this launch, and to ensure that the fruits of development are maximized and their just distribution.