Cairo: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting of the National Population Council, emphasizing that the population issue remains a top government priority through a range of executive plans aimed at improving demographic indicators, enhancing population characteristics, strengthening data-driven planning, and raising public awareness to support sustainable development.According to State Information Service Egypt, Madbouly expressed gratitude to officials involved in implementing population policies, highlighting that awareness campaigns are crucial in tackling demographic challenges and promoting an understanding of their impact on development goals.During the meeting, Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar reviewed the progress made in implementing recommendations from previous council meetings. He mentioned that the urgent action plan of the National Population and Development Strategy was launched in January 2025 as an integrated framework aimed at reducing population growth a nd achieving a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman by the end of 2027.The minister reported a significant reduction in the number of 'red zones'-areas experiencing the highest population pressure-from 74 to 20, while the number of governorates free of such zones increased from 3 to 13. He noted positive outcomes from the plan, including a decline in the total fertility rate from 2.54 in late 2023 to 2.34 in late 2025, and a reduction in the birth rate from 19.5 to 18.1 births per 1,000 people during the same period.Abdel Ghaffar also outlined efforts to enhance family planning services through training programs for nurses and physicians, expanding primary healthcare staffing, and introducing a Family Medicine Diploma to attract more doctors to primary care facilities.