Cairo, November 15 (QNA) - The third Global Congress on Population, Health, and Human Development (PHDC 25) concluded Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.

The four-day event was held under the theme “Empowering People, Advancing Progress, and Unlocking Opportunities."

Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said the conference convened 794 keynote speakers and debaters, including over 130 international speakers, as well as more than 32 government ministers and officials.

He added that over 120 regional, global, and national entities also participated, engaging in 198 panel discussions, workshops, and training programs.

Upon wrapping up, the conference produced key takeaways which included integrating development and population policies, empowering women, expanding technical education, and fostering multilateral cooperation., chief among them integrating the development vision with population issues from an inclusive perspective that encompasses economic and social empowerment, empowering women economically, digitizing population data, converting red zones into green through a unified digital platform and AI, and providing sustainable health funding, Ghaffar highlighted.

He further noted that the takeaways included fostering education and lifelong training by expanding technical education, blending AI-powered skills, engaging youth in policymaking, providing holistic social protection that includes informal workers, and enhancing multilateral cooperation through regional and global platforms to share AI expertise.

The PHDC 25 discussions focused on global health, linking healthcare with education, housing, and the economy through equitable policies that improve quality of life, ensure universal health coverage, and strengthen healthcare financing, governance, and workforce.

Key themes also included the care economy, comprehensive development, women’s empowerment as a pillar for sustainable growth, social protection, economic justice, and expanding access to services and opportunities to reduce poverty and societal gaps. (QNA)